


Legendary Lovers

by rjk122



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Almost Sex, Alternate Universe - College/University, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Ballet Dancer Yuri Plisetsky, Crack Treated Seriously, Dating, Drinking, Drunken Confessions, First Kiss, First Time, Friends to Lovers, History Majors, Ice Skating, Love Bites, M/M, Oral Sex, Pining, Romantic Gestures, Slow Build, Underage Drinking, i know thats kinda canon but its more prevalent here, ill add more tags as i go lmao, the au prompt was crack but im using it for a serious fic rip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-09-08 00:27:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 23,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8822380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rjk122/pseuds/rjk122
Summary: Leave it to Yuri Plisetsky to humiliate himself and then have the only person on campus that he wanted to avoid also end up being the only person who he sees all the time. And also who never does anything but stare at him. Like, seriously, why is this dude always staring at him?College AU based on a prompt by theappleppielifestyle on tumblr!(rating subject to change)





	1. I Kissed A Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was never the way I planned, not my intention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello this is the first fic that ive posted since i wrote an icarly hurt/comfort fic in 2010. be kind to my rusted skills and stick around for my end notes

Yuri Plisetsky was about four  _ billion  _ percent sure that he was never leaving his dorm again.

 

In retrospect, he had been the one in the public bathroom, but in his defense, it was three in the morning and usually the kids in his hall clear out by one or two since it's still early in the semester and only a few stragglers--such as Yuri--are ever up in the bathrooms later than that. 

 

That particular three am, Yuri had been a little too overtired, and the bathrooms were empty, so he shuffled his music library and blasted it. I mean, after all, it's college, even if someone were to come in, it didn't matter that much. His bouncing along to the tune of each song wasn't anything to go crazy over, but then Katy Perry came on. And his inner nine year old couldn't resist his desire to go hard as hell. It was nostalgic; one of those guilty pleasure songs that he refused to skip over anytime it came on, but he never went out of his way to listen to. He was always a very technical and disciplined dancer, but whenever cheesy pop songs came on, he allowed himself to be a little more free in his motion. So, Yuri, passionately brushing his teeth to the beat and beginning to claim the entire left side of the bathroom as his dance floor, wearing only a T-shirt and tiger-print boxer briefs, became a sight to behold. He moved as intensely as his slender legs could take him, belting out I Kissed A Girl through all the toothpaste and drool. Getting caught up too much in his own middle of the night delirium and pop culture reminiscence, he hadn't noticed the tall, very gruff-looking upperclassmen that had entered the room. At least, not until he spun around and wound up face to face with the stranger, who had clearly been standing there to witness the show for longer than Yuri’s liking.

 

His eyes widened before he furrowed in his brows, angry at himself and angry that someone had just walked in, maintaining a second too long of awkward contact, before spitting into the sink, grabbing his things, and sprinting back to his dorm all in one swift motion. The man had seemed entirely unamused by the event. It would've been hellish to be interrupted like that had someone with the ability to laugh along to play it off walked in, but Yuri had gotten the shit end of the stick, as per usual. He hadn't rinsed off his toothbrush or his mouth, so upon arriving back at his single student dorm, he nearly slammed the door behind him, grabbed a water bottle to swish out his mouth with and clean his toothbrush. He spit the water back into the bottle and tossed it in the trash before furiously throwing himself onto his bed and letting out a muffled yell of frustration into his pillow.

 

“ _Fuck_ ,” he groaned once he had sat up again, chucking the same pillow at his wall, where it fell to the ground with a weak flop. First week of university, trying to build up a decent reputation, and he had to go and pull this shit. He fumed for a solid five minutes before finally letting himself calm down enough to sleep. The following morning would be a Monday, and his first class wasn’t until noon, so he wasn’t horribly concerned with needing to be asleep early, but he didn’t want to continue on with his night owl habits because he knew they would only get worse from there on out. He made sure his necessities for the day were already packed away in his bag to avoid forgetting anything, and proceeded to overcome his humiliation by sleeping it off.

 

The next morning, Yuri was fine. He was able to roll his eyes at himself and move on. He vowed to do everything he could to avoid the guy who had wandered in on him last night, but that was just a matter of him bitterly salvaging his own pride. He had gotten through his first week of classes without ever seeing him before, so he knew that he was probably in the clear and wouldn’t really have to go out of his way to stay away.

 

Yuri’s alarm went off at 10:30am, which allowed him the time to get ready and also have a coffee before he needed to leave. In his building, there was a cafeteria on the first floor but right across from it was a nice little cafe area that took up a part of the lobby. There were a few two-person tables that were set up near there that he had already determined would be where he spent his time eating breakfast, as opposed to the annoyingly overcrowded cafeteria just a few steps the other way. At least, he hoped for the kind of luck that would leave him an empty chair. That day, he had asked and received. So, he ordered his coffee and syrniki, his favorite breakfast combo, and claimed his seat.

 

He always made an effort to try to look unapproachable, just because he really often did not feel like talking to people. Headphones in, eyes glued to his phone, and hoodie up was the kind of thing Yuri did to completely radiate an ‘if you talk to me, I will fucking stab you’ aura. It came in handy pretty often, especially on mornings like this where he just wanted to have his meal and then head to class. He just was a very private person, never really desiring attention in his casual day-to-day life. There was a time and a place for being social and in the spotlight, and to him, during school was neither. He wasn't exactly the social type to go out and befriend everyone anyway, and quite honestly, he hadn't ever really had an actual friend before, mostly just acquaintances and people who he had around him in class or at the skating rink he liked to go to.

 

One exception was the frustratingly chipper boy who sat next to him in his first class. He was short--somehow even shorter than Yuri--with blonde hair and a small red streak in the front. He still hadn’t shed his baby face, but he never gave off very self-conscious vibes over anything, so Yuri would doubtful that he actually cared. They hadn’t been around each other long--only for the one class that took place three times a week--but the boy always tried to make conversation, even if Yuri’s interest wasn’t reciprocated in the slightest. That morning, he caught Yuri as he was walking to class.

 

“Ay! Yuri!” he called, jogging up beside him. Yuri pulled one of his earbuds out.

 

“What do you want?” he glared, half because he didn’t feel like talking and half because he just always looks generally angry. Resting bitch face is, well, a bitch.

 

“Well, we’re both on our way to Professor Katsuki’s class! I figured we could walk together,” he shrugged, seeming unfazed by Yuri’s clear disinterest in talking to him. “Also, I’m Minami! In case you were wondering.”

 

“How do you even know my name anyway?”

 

“I noticed it written on the inside of your notebook last class, sorry if that’s a little creepy or something!” he laughed it off, playfully pushing Yuri’s arm. He refused to react in any way that wasn’t disdainful; he really didn’t think Minami was the kind of person he wanted to become buddy-buddy with. He’d tolerate him in class, but that wasn’t about to extend beyond the walls of the history building.

 

Regardless, Yuri let him continue to babble. Sometimes he would ask questions and Yuri would give very blunt responses, and at one point, Minami made some huge deal about how he can’t believe an underclassman was able to get into some of the advanced classes he had. Yuri hadn’t put much thought into it until then, but he realized most of the classes he was in were for sophomores or juniors. Minami, being two years older and still struggling through his courses, was extremely impressed, but luckily for Yuri, by the time the conversation had reached that point, they were taking their seats in class and beginning the work day.

 

Professor Katsuki’s class was on Japanese art history, one of the many that Yuri was taking on the subject. He loved fine arts--though, particularly dance--and history, so he had all of his classes based on the two. He had realized before that Minami was enrolled as well, not so much as because he liked the history, but because he was native to Japan. Yuri noticed that as well in the first week of school: due to how many foreign history classes he was in, he had many of the international students in the ones that were respective to their homeland. It was interesting though, and he was excited to be able to learn through people’s actual experiences in the countries, as well as through the lessons he was there for.

 

Ninety minutes hardly felt like enough as he let himself become absorbed into eighth century Japan, tuning out any of Minami’s side comments that he didn’t care to hear. Katsuki dismissed class, and as Yuri was gathering his books, another student approached him. A girl whose brows were stitched together with worry stepped up to the front of his desk and kept her voice low. “Hey, uh, do you know that guy who sits a few rows behind you? I noticed he’s been staring at you.”

 

Yuri blinked a few times, confused, before turning his head to see what she had been talking about. Surely enough, there was a very tall, gruff-looking upperclassman, his dark eyes burning holes into Yuri. Of course, it was the same fucker who had seen him in the bathroom the night before, and Yuri just wasn’t in the mood to deal with that kind of shit. He turned back around and looked at the girl, growing annoyed but maintaining a whisper. “Yeah, he’s probably just a perv or something,” he scoffed, packing his things up a little faster so he could leave. “I’ll handle it.”

 

The girl nodded before heading off on her own, and Yuri tossed his bag back over his shoulder before swiftly walking out the door farthest from the scary, mysterious bathroom guy. He didn’t want to deal with some creep trying to stalk him or something, but he wasn’t in the mood to try to get him to back off. If he kept it up, then Yuri would confront him, but he had a class to go to next and better things to do than have some bastard get into a fight with him. He figured that, at least for now, he would leave the situation alone.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok nice! this chapter is kinda short but thats just bc its the exposition and it'll get more interesting from here i promise


	2. Dark Horse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Are you ready for perfect storm? 'Cause once you’re mine, there’s no going back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for the record i named this chapter dark horse before ep11 came out and referred to otabek as a dark horse and honestly i lost my shit

Yuri Plisetsky was about four  _ billion _ percent sure that he was being stalked.

 

He was in the clear for awhile in his second class, but then the stranger who he had internally dubbed “scary bathroom guy” was in his third class. And it turned out his dorm was in the same hallway. And they had a class together two more times throughout the week, on top of Katsuki’s class taking place three times a week. 

 

Yuri had been on edge after learning how often he saw Scary Bathroom Guy, and by that Wednesday, even Minami had pointed out that he was staring. Why the fuck was this dude staring so much? It was psyching Yuri out like crazy and he was completely ready to confront the guy if not for the fact that the longer he waited, the more intimidated he was. He was  _ not _ looking to be on the receiving end of some psychological axe murderer film, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt like that was going to wind up being the end result.

 

But with Yuri being, well, Yuri, he had worked up enough aggravation by the time Thursday came around that after class he loitered around outside the main doors to the building. He was prepared to let this asshole have it, his mind running through with dozens of thoughts that he was about ready to scream at Scary Bathroom Guy (one being what his name is because he was starting to feel kind of stupid referring to his stalker as such). His shining moment finally came after a few minutes or fuming and waiting, and Yuri ran up to him, pushing his arm a little too forcefully.

 

“Hey! You!”

 

The man turned, looking down at Yuri from above. He was unreadable, with the exception of his eyes that were inquisitive. It took Yuri a few seconds too long to realize that he wasn’t going to say anything before he continued.

 

“Why are you stalking me, you fucker?”

 

“I didn’t realize that going to my classes was stalking,” he responded, calmly but with a tinge of disparagement in his tone.

 

“It-it’s  _ not _ but you fucking  _ stare _ at me the entire time and it’s creepy and I wanna know what your deal is!” Yuri jammed his fists into the pockets of his jacket, sneering up at the detested stranger.

 

He was quiet for a minute, thinking over his reply before speaking. “You’re a good dancer, you know.”

 

Yuri felt his face burn and he couldn’t tell if it was embarrassment or rage. “ _ That’s _ all you have to say?! What even is the end goal of  _ doing _ shit like that?”

 

He sighed before pushing his hair back and leaning against the wall nearest to them. “For the record, I don’t stare at you unless you’re turning around to see if I’m looking at you. You realize you always sit in front of me and that it’s just a given that if you’re moving around, I’m probably gonna take notice?”

 

Yuri curled his lip but couldn’t really argue a defense, so the man continued. “I will admit I tend to look your way when I’m staring off into space, and I apologize. I think it could be interesting to be friends with you though.”

 

He eyed him warily. “What’s your name?”

 

“Otabek. You?”

 

“Yuri.”

 

“Why do you think I’m ‘interesting?’” He held his fingers up to emphasize the air quotes.

 

“Because I witnessed you alone in a bathroom singing Katy Perry and it was the wildest shit I’d seen in awhile.”

 

Yuri gritted his teeth, swallowing back his shame. “Why were you even in that bathroom so late? That one’s pretty much only used by people in my part of the hall and I know you aren’t staying there.”

 

“My move in date was delayed,” he explained. “I was still jet-lagged and woke up and couldn’t sleep, so I just kinda wandered and then figured I’d go into that one because I heard music.”

 

Yuri hesitated before re-adjusting his backpack and standing up a little straighter, deciding talking to this guy would be more comfortable elsewhere. “Do you have anywhere to be? Or do you wanna maybe, I don’t know, go get tea or something?”

 

Otabek shrugged, nodding as he stepped beside Yuri so they could walk side by side. “I’m free for the next hour or so.”

 

“Okay, cool,” he agreed. The two walked to a coffee shop that was near the history building, each getting a drink and finding a table to sit at. The interrogation Yuri had initially planned fell through as he realized that Otabek wasn’t really creepy as much as just withdrawn. Even just on the short walk to the cafe, Yuri noticed that he’s more of just an observant type and it’s probably the whole brooding, angsty vibe that is what put him on edge. Regardless, sitting together and being able to talk was nice.

 

“Where are you from?” Yuri asked, noting his mention of jet lag.

 

“I’m from Kazakhstan originally, but I lived abroad in the States to study for the first two years,” he explained. “I only arrived here from there a week ago.”

 

“Why did you study there?”

 

“Boston had a good history program, and they had skating as well.” When he spoke, he was very to the point, but never really blunt about it. He never had to really decorate what he was saying to elaborate.

 

Yuri was taken aback. “Skating? Like, figure skating?” 

 

Otabek nodded. “I’ve been looking around here for a rink that I can practice at, but I’m not really in a rush.”

 

“You should come to mine,” he insisted, realizing how comfortable he beginning to feel around him. “It’s only about twenty minutes from here and we could practice together.”

 

“You skate too? Well, shit,” his lips flicked up into the slightest smile, but it was enough for Yuri to smile back. “I’d like to see a program of yours sometime.”

 

Yuri was finding himself more and more engrossed in Otabek. His mannerisms were extremely reserved, yet Yuri picked up on each little glint of emotion that would shine through. He was never the greatest at reading people, mostly because he didn’t care to, but he made an extra effort to seek out Otabek’s thoughts through his expression. He was starting to notice also that he wasn’t actually as tall of a guy as he initially thought; he was relatively average height, but it was his broad build that made his presence feel more dominating. Unfortunately for Yuri’s 5’4” self who was only ever around Minami, who was shorter than him, standing next to Otabek felt like standing next to a goddamn building.

 

Physical aspects aside, talking to Otabek felt easier than anyone he’d ever spent time with. Yuri always had this feeling like everyone expected him to be more involved, and forcing it made every interaction detestable. He didn’t feel like that with Otabek. Due to him being more soft-spoken, Yuri’s responses to him didn’t feel coerced. He was able to converse naturally when not having to respond to people who make him disinterested or annoyed. By the time they had to part ways, Yuri had begun to question if it was only just the tea that was giving him such a warm feeling.

 

“Will I see you tomorrow then? In Katsuki’s class?” Yuri asked as they tossed their cups and began to head out.

 

“Well, yeah. I’ve never been the type to skip out on class for no reason.”

 

“You should lend me some of that motivation,” Yuri scoffed. “I’ve only been here a week and I already can tell I’ll be slipping by halfway through the semester.”

 

“That's a terrible mindset, you know.”

 

“Yeah, but if I keep up straight A’s, who cares?”

 

“You  _ should.  _ Where’s your dorm at? I’ll come slam on your door an hour before class starts and force you up,” Otabek chuckled, and the sound made heat prickle up Yuri’s ears.

 

“Uh, I’m in 417, at the end of the hall.”

 

“I’m 443. Opposite end.”

 

Yuri nodded, making sure he didn’t forget the number, and holding out his hand. “I’ll expect you tomorrow then I guess.”

 

Otabek took it, giving a firm shake before parting ways. “See you then, Yuri.”

 

Yuri hesitated to see which direction Otabek was going before taking off the opposite way. He felt unusually giddy after the experience, letting his hair fall over his face to conceal a smile. He didn’t have anywhere to be until later in the afternoon, so he went to the dance studio on campus. He enjoyed practicing whenever he had free time, even if it was just working on stretches or basic steps. Madame Baranovskaya was always there, overseeing and critiquing any students there doing ballet. Yuri was fucking terrified of her, but he knew she’d be crucial to his improvement during the semester until he can return to his hometown’s studio. One other person who was consistently there was a girl named Mila, but she was just a student who was extremely passionate about it.

 

“Hey, Yuri,” she greeted when she saw him toss his bag down upon entering. He nodded to her.

 

He started to tie his hair up, but she interrupted again. “Can I braid your hair?”

 

He let his hair fall back down over his shoulders. “What? Why?”

 

“Because it’s so long, I want to see what it’d look like braided.” She made her way over to where he was beginning to set up, running her fingers through the long blonde locks. Yuri couldn’t remember the last time he had actually cut it as opposed to just trimming--it grew well past his shoulders and brushed against his back.

 

“I don’t usually really like people playing with my hair, it makes it greasy,” Yuri noted, pulling it back through her hands to tie it up into a bun. “Maybe another day.”

 

“Fine,” she pouted, returning to her corner of the studio. “I was going to head out soon, do you need any help before I go?”

 

“I think I’m alright,” he shrugged, beginning his warm-up stretches. “I’m not doing anything that intense today.”

 

“Fair enough,” she allowed, working through her cool down stretching and packing up as Yuri was still getting started. By the time they had murmured farewells to one another, Yuri was able to get more into his practice.

 

Once Mila had gone, Yuri finally felt like he could relax. The discipline that was conjoined with performing ballet was somehow freeing to him. Like having this rigid system of movement was the one way he could feel intense, his own self being portrayed as well as he could ever do. He wasn’t a perfectionist outside of the sport, but the moment he stepped out to perform, it was a Black Swan-esque transformation but without the insanity. He just felt whole, he felt peaceful, he felt beautiful.

 

He reviewed over some routines that he had already learned in the past, letting himself adjust more and more to the studio that was still unfamiliar to him. He had only allowed an hour to work, saving time for him to shower before heading to his next class on time. Baranovskaya was in and out the whole time, occasionally strolling over to straighten his leg or back and then proceeding to go back off to doing whatever she was doing before.

 

He quickly showered off before tying his hair up and heading off to walk to his next classes. Yuri couldn't help but feel spacey. During his practice, he was able to divert all of his focus to his dancing, but now that he was just in class, listening to Professor Popovich drone on about the beauty of love in the arts, he couldn't really think clearly. His thoughts were still churning through the interaction he had had earlier with Otabek and the reaction he had to him. It was something completely unfamiliar and almost weakening, the way he felt. As if something inside him, that not even he understood, was coming to light for the first time. 

 

And he fucking hated it.

 

More than that though, Yuri hated the waiting around until the next time he saw Otabek. It's not like it was long--he knew he'd see him in the morning--but the thought of going home and spending his night doing whatever bullshit he usually did just felt inconvenient. All the wasted time between their interactions. He was so intrigued by this completely random person who had quite literally just walked into his life, and he was starting to grow annoyed at himself at how fascinated he was by him. Maybe he was finally beginning to understand what Otabek meant when he said it'd be interesting to be friends.

 

He eventually forced himself out of his train of thought, and refused to let his mind wander any longer. Yuri began scribbling notes on things that he doubted he'd even need, just trying to make the time until class ends go by faster. 

 

Class did indeed get dismissed, despite how fiercely Yuri had convinced himself that it never would, and he then had only one more to sit through before he could have the rest of the evening to himself. He had purposely chose more classes in the late afternoon; it helped him think to be working at night. His final course was one for Russian history that only ran once a week on Thursday's, and Yuri pitifully remained hopeful that maybe Otabek would be in there too. 

 

At least, it felt pitiful until he walked in to find a hall of maybe fifteen people scattered around, and lo and behold, one dark undercut stood out from a row towards the front. He approached with caution, not wanting to embarrass himself if it weren’t Otabek, but when Yuri was close enough, he noticed it was.

 

“Holy shit, hey,” he said, causing Otabek to glance up at him.

 

“Jesus, maybe I am stalking you,” he joked, moving his things from the seat next to him so Yuri could sit there. “I can guess you’re a history major too, since that’s most of the classes we have together.”

 

“I am,” he nodded, sitting next to him. “Art history mostly.”

 

“What year are you anyway?”

 

“Uh, this is my first year,” he admitted. Yuri had managed to casually leave out that he’s younger until this point, and he was hoping that Otabek didn’t make a big deal of it.

 

“That’s pretty impressive then,” he admired, opening up a notebook as more students began to file in. “Smart as hell to get in some of these courses.”

 

Yuri’s ears felt warm, and he kicked himself for not having his hair down to disguise it. “Thanks, I guess.”  _ Fuckin’ idiot, that’s all you could manage to say? _

 

Otabek smirked in appreciation, turning his attention to the silver-haired man who was preparing to lead the class. Professor Nikiforov was who led the class, and from the moment he began it, it was clear he was passionate in an amusing way, but also in a way that made sure Yuri knew that he would not slack in that class or he would get his ass handed to him.

 

The final class of the day usually is the one to pass the slowest, but with Otabek there and Professor Nikiforov managing to make it engaging, Yuri hadn’t felt it drag on even once. Sometimes his eyes would wander and take note to the choppy cursive that was Otabek’s handwriting, and feel almost humored that someone had penmanship as shitty as his own, and other times he would catch himself doodling in the margins of his own notes. He and Otabek didn’t speak again until class was dismissed, but even just being next to each other, exchanging occasional side glances at one another, made things feel simpler in a good way.

 

“So, were you serious about wanting me to make sure you’re awake tomorrow?” Otabek asked once the two had begun to pack up their things. “Because I’ll do it.”

 

“Well, I’ll most likely be awake, but if you want, I usually go for coffee in the mornings before class and you can come with me. Like, if you want.” He tried to backtrack the invite to make it sound less eager, but Yuri’s dumb ass only made himself sound worse.

 

“Sure, I’ll join you,” he agreed, hoisting his bag onto his back. “What time?”

 

“Er, if you wanna come to my dorm by 11 anyway, then we can go.”

 

“Sounds good to me,” he nodded. “I’ll see you then, cool?”

  
Yuri gave a short nod of his own, before heading off opposite of Otabek. He now had gained just a little more to look forward to, and for some reason, as he walked away, he still couldn’t shake the smile. But he didn’t mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright we in. diving straight into the fuckin deep end with the gay. too bad yurio literally has no concept of what its like to be thirsty for someone
> 
> i want u all to know every time i call one of them a history major i laugh to myself and go 'heh...history maker' bc im a goddamn loser. anYWAY tho thank u for ur kudos and comments on the last chapter omg?? pls pls pls keep leaving comments tho bc i love them sm also i did some fanart of my own goddamn fic bc i just love yurio so much???? http://dietpiss.tumblr.com/post/154489859065/im-jumping-on-the-long-haired-yurio-train-bc-im sO there is my shameless self promotion, and pls stick around bc i love writing this fic and i love that people are actually reading it


	3. International Smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Cause she's the muse and the artist, always leaves a trail of stardust.  
> 'Cause she's a little bit of Yoko, and she's a little bit of "Oh no."

Yuri Plisetsky was about four  _ billion _ percent sure that he was never going to be able to fall back asleep.

 

His clock flashed 7:41am, and he still had another three hours until he should be up. He had woken up almost a half hour prior, but he only really managed to bury his face in his pillow and roll around restlessly. He couldn’t figure out why and it was pissing him off.

 

The night before, he had dinner and then holed up in his dorm for the entire evening, trying to get ahead in his classes while the workload was still relatively light, but he wound up just scrolling through Instagram and then talking with his grandfather on the phone for awhile. They hadn’t spoken too much since school started, and Yuri was excited to be able to catch him up on everything. He had also tried to sleep a little earlier, just so he could be sure he didn’t oversleep, but he definitely didn’t mean to wake up as early as he did.

 

He gave up on trying to sleep after awhile, figuring he could shower and get himself ready to actually look decent that day. His hair was always extra soft when he washed it in the mornings, and for some reason, he was looking forward to that today. Taking as much time as he needed under the warm water, he finished up feeling more refreshed than usual. He figured he could head back to his room in just a towel and get the rest of the way ready in the comfort of his own dorm. He cycled through about four different outfits before finally settling on something that he felt was up to par--a letterman jacket with tiger-print sleeves and his favorite jeans that made his legs and ass look particularly nice.

 

Even by the time he had gotten completely ready, it was only just after 9:30. He had an hour and a half to kill.

 

In retrospect, he probably should’ve gotten Otabek’s number, just in case he wanted to text him and be like ‘hey, if you’re up and not doing anything, we can totally hang out a little earlier than planned’ but he felt clingy for wanting to do that. They agreed on a time, and it seemed selfish to want to change plans just because he was bored.

 

He tried to hang around his dorm for a bit, but he was beginning to feel stir crazy in there, so he grabbed his bag and laptop and went to go sit in the common area between the two halls on his floor. He picked an empty chair next to the piano and settled in, listening to chatter from students passing through and looking through his various social media accounts. At one point, a boy came in and started to play on the slightly out of tune piano, to which Yuri was appreciative. He loved music that was soft like that; it made him feel peaceful. 

 

It wasn’t until around ten til 11 that he finally figured he should go back to his dorm to wait for Otabek to meet him there. The anticipation was driving him nearly insane, checking and double checking that he had everything he needed, tying and re-tying his shoes, glancing at the time every minute or so. He couldn’t really pinpoint why he was feeling so anxious to go already, but surely enough, the long-awaited knock on his door eventually came.

 

“You ready to go?” Otabek greeted.

 

Yuri nodded, slinging his bag onto his back and heading out. “I woke up way too early today so I’ve been looking forward to coffee.”

 

“Shit, you should’ve found me, I was up kinda early today too. I didn’t wanna wake you up though.”

 

Yuri felt that familiar blush crawl up his neck. “I was thinking the same thing. We should, y’know, exchange numbers or something. So then if one of us is up and bored then we could just text.”

 

“Good plan,” he agreed, pulling out his phone and handing it to Yuri to input his phone number. “I’m not on my phone too often but I usually check it in the mornings.”

 

“Really? Do you not use social media or anything?”

 

Otabek shook his head. “It seems like a waste of time to me.”

 

Yuri gasped, adding in some extra dramatics as if he had been personally offended. “It definitely isn’t. There’s so much to do!”

 

“Looking through strangers’ photos and giving virtual likes? That doesn’t sound too interesting.”

 

“Okay, no, we’re gonna make you an Instagram when we get downstairs,” Yuri insisted as they continued their descent from the fourth floor to the main level. Otabek groaned in protest but Yuri refused to let him complain.

 

They each got their coffees and found seats beside one another, and Yuri began to download and explain the workings of Instagram. He grew more and more enthusiastic as he tried to open Otabek up to using it, showing him all the best accounts to follow, which mostly consisted of his own profile and then ones that posted daily animal photos.

 

“See, this one is just pictures of sphynx cats every day! They’re so wrinkly and funny looking and I love them,” Yuri explained, scrolling through the endless amounts of hairless kittens.

 

“‘The Daily Nude?’” Otabek read skeptically. “That seems a bit misleading.”

 

“It’s just cats, get your mind out of the gutter,” he teased, clicking the follow button for a few more similar pages. “Should we make your first post?”

 

“Do we have to?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What was even the point of asking then?”

 

Yuri shrugged. “To give you the illusion of having a choice. Now hold up your coffee.”

 

The two leaned in together, each holding their cups up next to their faces, Yuri flashing a cheesy grin while Otabek turned up the corners of his mouth a bit. He snapped a picture of them, which led to the screen that allowed you to caption it.  It was a pretty cute picture even though they both looked a little constipated.  Yuri explained how to tag people and share it, and then he officially posted it.

 

“There! Now you’ll get the hang of it eventually, but I’ll be the first like,” he chuckled, double tapping the image from his own phone.

 

“I don’t have to post every day, right?”

 

“No, I don’t even post every day. Just, whenever you have a picture of something you wanna show people, post it.”

 

Otabek nodded, locking his phone and setting it aside. “I guess I’ll try then. It still seems a little pointless though.”

 

Yuri waved him off. “It’ll grow on you, don’t worry.”

 

“Fine, fine,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “Other than Instagram, what kind of stuff do you do? I feel like we talked a lot yesterday but I still don’t really know much about you.”

 

“I mean, I like figure skating and dancing,” he began, racking his brain for his interests. Why is it so hard to think of shit he likes when someone asks? “Cats are pretty cool, as you can tell.”

 

“What kind of dancing do you do? Besides, y’know, whatever you can call your performance in the bathroom.”

 

Yuri’s blush spread to his face after that one. “Fuck off. I do ballet.”

 

“I’m just kidding, so hot-headed,” he rolled his eyes. “Ballet is interesting though. I’d like to see sometime.”

 

“Really? I mean, it’s not ever that interesting unless you’re really into it.”

 

“I can appreciate the arts even if it's not my style. I skate and enjoy classical music a lot as well, so I definitely can at least like that.”

 

“I guess you're right,” he nodded absently, taking a sip of his drink. “I'm also like, obsessed with the 80s.”

 

“Seriously?”

 

“Yeah, is that lame?” He thought to all the animal print he usually wore and felt like it was kinda obvious. “70s culture and 80s fashion.”

 

“That's cool as hell, does that also mean you like the music of the era?”

 

“Oh, hell yeah. Rock ‘n roll at its  _ finest _ .”

 

“Are you an elitist about it?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Like, if I say that Janis Joplin is overrated, are you gonna spiral into a rant about how music nowadays is deteriorating and it only was  _ truly good _ music back then?”

 

Yuri found himself pouting. “...no.” He was lying. He totally was a music snob, but his heart was in denial.

 

Otabek began speaking in a tone that just hinted at mockery. “Yoko Ono isn't that good and I think Twenty One Pilots is the peak of music.”

 

“Okay, you're just  _ asking _ me to fight you on that.”

 

“I know,” he flashed Yuri a shit-eating grin. “I'll fight myself on that.”

 

“Good,” Yuri snickered, feeling light after seeing Otabek smile. He was a generally straight-faced person, so even in casual conversation, his resting bitch face was strong. A smile, even a sarcastic one, felt like a treat for Yuri to get to see.

 

The two kept enthusing about 70s musicians, spiraling from that to complaining about music elitists (while Yuri realized more and more that he totally was one) to getting into the ever-lingering question of “what the  _ fuck _ happened in the 2000s that made everyone’s fashion sense so goddamn ugly” and by the time they were running out of things to talk about, it was time for them to head off to class.

 

“Where are you going?” Otabek called when he realized that him and Yuri walked in different directions after exiting the building.

 

“Uh...class? It's this way you know.”

 

“You walk?”

 

“You don't? It's not that far.”

 

Otabek shook his head. “Come with me, I take my bike.”

 

Yuri began to follow him, hesitant and very confused. “How am I gonna ride with you on a bike?”

 

“It's not a bicycle kind of bike, idiot,” he teased, pulling keys out of his pocket. “Motorcycle kind of bike.”

 

Talk about feeling like a fucking moron. “I didn't know you rode one.”

 

Otabek nodded as the two approached a shiny black bike. He swung his leg over, helping Yuri up behind him. He felt very hyper aware of the fact that he was going to wind up pressed against Otabek’s back. “This way I don't have to worry about shortcuts and walking through grass and shit just to get to my building. I just go around the corner instead.”

 

“I’d make fun of you for being lazy, but this is actually kind of genius.” 

 

Otabek handed him the extra helmet as he put on his own. Yuri tried to just hold on to the seat in the space between them for stability, but once they took off, he found himself throwing his arms around Otabek’s waist, grasping for dear goddamn life as his grip tightened on his jacket. The ride was short though--under five minutes on the bike as opposed to fifteen minutes walking. For some reason, Yuri felt heat creep up his neck again once he got off the vehicle and handed his helmet back to Otabek.

 

“Shall we?” he chuckled, locking up everything and gesturing for Yuri to walk ahead of him.

 

The two headed to their lecture hall while maintaining a comfortable silence, and only as they walked through the door did Yuri realize he had forgotten one crucial bit of interference with his and Otabek’s blooming friendship. That obstacle came in the form of a very small, very peppy boy who had a tendency to pry.

 

“Yuri!” Minami called when he saw him enter the room, waving for him to sit in the empty seat beside him. He expression quickly grew confused once he realized that Otabek was following as well, sitting on Yuri’s other side.

 

“What’s he doing with you?” he asked, his tone hushed but not enough for it to not make the situation awkward.

 

“Uh, I mean, we’re kinda, friends now, I guess,” Yuri stammered, feeling Otabek looking at him from the other side. He didn’t know if it was too soon to legitimately call him a friend, and it felt strange to say that.

 

Minami seemed to accept the information right away though. “Cool! I’m Minami!” He held his hand out for Otabek to shake.

 

“Otabek. Nice to meet you.”

 

The mood that followed their introduction was odd; it wasn’t tense or awkward, just odd. Yuri had gotten so goddamn nervous about calling Otabek a friend, and everyone definitely could sense that. Thankfully for him, he was saved by the bell when Professor Katsuki walked in. Class beginning meant that he could throw himself into work and note-taking without letting the lingering air around them continue to thrive.

  
He was relieved though, finding comfort in knowing that Otabek considered him a friend now.  It's not like he wasn't expecting it, but it still gave him a warm feeling to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok nice!! this is the last chapter before things start getting really gay and a little more crack-based so brace urself  
> christmas is in 3 days tho and then im going to be out of town for 2 weeks so i will TRY to update at least once in that time frame but no promises??? either way, keep leaving comments i love it when u fuel my ego :3c 
> 
> also SPOILERS- but im SO THANKFUL that my boy won gold he deserved it and im proud of my angel son


	4. This Is How We Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is how we do, yeah, chilling, laid back,  
> Straight stuntin', yeah we do it like that.

Yuri Plisetsky was about four  _ billion _ percent sure he was not a college party type of person.

 

Somehow, the idea of being surrounded by sweaty, beer-spilling frat boys and girls pretending they're edgy for dancing together just didn't really seem appealing. He hated sounding pretentious or elitist by stating that he hated them, but when an invite was presented right in front of him by a very pestering acquaintance, he had to explain himself.

 

“But Yuuuri,” Minami whined, pulling on his sleeve as the two walked from the dorm hall together. “It'll be fun and I wanna see what you're like drunk. Or do you not drink?”

 

“I do, yeah, but that doesn't mean I wanna go.”

 

“If you don't go, I’ll cry,” he pouted, playing up the dramatics. “What else are friends for?”

 

“Are we really using  _ that  _ F word to describe our relationship?”

 

“What other one would we use?”

 

“Fucking bothersome.”

 

Minami gave a hollow cackle. “You're very funny, Plisetsky.”

 

“I try,” he flashed a sarcastic grin before returning to his prior deadpan. “I’m not going though.”

 

“What if I get  _ Otabek  _ to go too?” he cooed, causing Yuri to grow agitated.

 

“Why are you saying it like that!?” he snapped. He realized a little too late exactly how defensive he was coming off.

 

“Oh come on, you spend  _ every _ waking moment together, I’m surprised he's not with us now.”

 

“Because he doesn't have class in this direction like we do plus his isn’t for another half hour and wait  _ hold  _ up,” he paused. “I don't owe you any explanations. I just like hanging out with him.”

 

“How many days has it been since you went without seeing him?”

 

Yuri opened his mouth to protest, but was completely shut down by the fact that he knew, in the five weeks that had gone by since their first conversation, he had seen Otabek every day. If they didn't have class together, they'd get lunch or hang out afterwards. Sometimes if one couldn’t sleep, they’d go back and forth between their dorms just to have some company. He was completely floored at the realization though, and Minami’s smug expression didn't help.

 

“We have class together almost every day!” he defended finally. “And we’re in the same hallway so our dorms aren't far away at all, so can you blame me for seeing him a lot?”

 

“So, say he goes to the party tonight. You wouldn't be able to hang out with him?”

 

“I guess not.”

 

“So, you'd go if he went?”

 

“Well, yeah? No, no! Maybe?” He began hissing through clenched teeth because he hated how right Minami was. “Just fuck off, Otabek won't be there anyway.”

 

“Look, I have to split now to get to my class,” Minami announced, noting the direction he had to go that was opposite of Yuri’s. “But, you're going tonight because I’ll make sure your boy is there, okay? Meet me at the doors of our dorm at nine.”

 

“He’s not my  _ boy _ ,” Yuri growled as Minami jogged off to his class. The rest of his own walk to his next lecture was more of an angry speedwalk, trying to calm himself down and refute all of Minami’s claims in his head.

 

It was just easy to be around him, right? They both weren’t super verbal, but it still felt comfortable to be around each other, even if they just turned on a movie or a CD together and sat side by side. That’s just the type of dynamic they had, it didn’t mean shit. Maybe Minami was just jealous; they had class together too and he might have just been feeling left out or annoyed that Yuri didn’t click with him the same way he did with Otabek. Fuck that though, it wasn’t Yuri’s responsibility to cater to Minami. Being with Otabek just felt effortless, and he liked that a lot.

 

By the time he arrived at his next class, he decided to shake off the train of thought. It was Tuesday, the only day of the week where he didn’t have class with Otabek, so he begrudgingly told himself he would go to the party that night, just because he wanted to be jaded and drunk with his friend by his side. It was college after all--he might as well go to some poorly timed parties and learn from the mistake of having a hangover on a Wednesday morning.

 

The rest of the day dragged.

 

Once he had made actual plans, he spent all of the time until then just waiting. He was done in his classes by five-thirty, he grabbed dinner, and then headed up to his dorm to end up getting ready by seven. He cycled through about eight different outfits before he decided on a pair of navy skinny jeans, a thin tiger print T-shirt, and a black denim jacket layered over it. Once he had gotten to the third outfit, he pondered why he was putting in so much effort. Despite knowing why in the back of his mind, he refused to admit it.

 

He passed the remaining time by checking through his various social media accounts, tidying up his closet, and then getting all of his things together for the morning, because he knew he wouldn’t wanna do anything but roll out of bed and head to class, if he even willed that much out of himself.

 

Soon enough, a quick rapping sounded at his door, and on the other side was none other than Minami, expectantly hoping for Yuri to be ready to go instead of standing by his word.

 

“I knew you’d give in!” he exclaimed, grabbing him by the wrist. “You ready to go?”

 

Yuri yanked his hand back to himself, grabbing his phone off the desk before nodding. “Yeah, let’s go.”

 

As he was dragged out to Minami’s car, Yuri began drowning out the sound of him explaining the situation, picking out bits and pieces enough to understand that the party was at some senior’s apartment, and it wasn’t gonna be super crazy but apparently that dude knew how to make even a small party fun. After catching that much, Minami’s voice began to fade into the background, Yuri’s mind rushing towards the idea that Otabek might be there. He was excited to see him in group setting, since they hung out one on one so much. He wondered if the two would act any differently.

 

“What’s this dude’s name, anyway?” Yuri finally asked in attempt to restrain his train of thought.

 

“JJ,” Minami replied. “He’s kind of an egomaniac, but he’s cool once you get to know him!”

 

“That doesn’t seem like the type of person whose party I’d want to go to,” he groaned, imagining the kind of fuckboys that could be there.  _ Just remember Otabek will be there, hopefully, probably _ , he reassured himself with.

 

“It’ll be fun, don’t worry. All his friends are really nice!”

 

Yuri nodded, letting the topic die out as they continued to drive. It wasn’t far, so it was only a few more minutes until they were heading up the stairs and knocking on the door to JJ’s place. A relatively tall guy with a dark undercut answered the door. He reminded Yuri of Otabek just a little, until he opened his mouth.

 

“Minami! My boy!” he grinned, letting out a booming laugh and pulling Minami in for a bro hug. “Who’s your friend?”

 

“This is Yuri!” he announced, putting his hand on his shoulder.

 

“Yuri, huh?” JJ scanned him. “I think you’re in my Japanese history class, yeah? You and Katsuki have the same name!”

 

“Yeah, I guess I didn’t think much of it,” he shrugged. This guy’s entire aura radiated arrogance and a level of boisterous that was far too much for Yuri to want to deal with. He supposed he could put up with it for now, but if it worsened as JJ got more drunk, he decided he’d tap out and leave the party early.

 

“You’re a freshman, right? Lemme tell you something,” he said, letting the two boys in and closing the door. “Katsuki is  _ crazy _ at parties. One time I ran into him and his husband at a club, and he was fuckin’ hammered, dancing around all batshit crazy. Another few professors were there, and Giacometti--if you ever have him, tell me and I will make you his favorite student, he loves me--but yeah, anyway, Katsuki and him were grinding all up on each other and shit. It was hilarious.”

 

Yuri couldn’t believe how much this motherfucker could talk. He clearly had already done some drinking, his breath stinging his nose with what smelled like straight vodka, and all Yuri really wanted to do was take off to try to find Otabek. That process didn’t take long though.

 

Halfway through JJ continuing to ramble about professors that he’s run into outside of school, he heard his name called from the other side of the room.

 

“Yuuuuri!”

 

The shout came from none other than a very,  _ very _ plastered Otabek. He had a drink in hand as he hauled himself up out of a chair and made his way over to him. His eyes were glazed the fuck over and he had a grin wider than any one he’d ever seen on his face before. He swung his arm around Yuri’s waist and pulled him away from JJ, which he’d be more relieved about if it weren’t for the hyper awareness of Otabek’s hand on his side and the intense blush growing across his cheeks.

 

“I’m so glad you’re here,” he cooed, pulling Yuri up against him into a hug. “Are you gonna drink with me?”

 

“I-, uh, yeah, I’ll drink with you,” he stammered, trying to create a bit of separation between the two of them. “Are you alright?”

 

“I’m doing fantastic,” Otabek said proudly, giving a thumbs up. “Lemme get you a drink, Yuri.”

 

Before he had time to respond, Yuri was being pulled by the arm through a crowd of around fifteen people into the kitchen. There were about forty people total at the party, and it made him question how fucking rich this JJ guy was because his apartment was massive. Otabek began digging through the shelves before pulling a bottle of rum out. 

 

“Is this good? What do you like?”

 

“Uh, I like, er, pretty much anything, rum is okay,” Yuri nodded, taking the bottle from him and pouring a bit into a solo cup. He had gone to the party in the first place that night with the intention of getting really messed up, but he decided to scale back once he saw how Otabek was acting. He refused to let himself blackout and forget how fucking hilarious this was to watch.

 

As the two made their way back to the couch, a familiar face stopped him.

 

“Fancy seeing you outside the studio,” Mila chuckled, double taking when she realized who Yuri was. “You know JJ?”

 

“He’s a friend of a friend,” he said after a moment of figuring out how to answer that, sending a glance in Otabek’s direction.

 

“You should meet some of the other dancers here, it’s much more fun than in passing when you’re doing work. Come find me later,” she told him before running off in the other direction, waving farewell.

 

The sensation of being overwhelmed hit just then. Everyone around him was doing so much shit, he felt like he was gonna die. Thankfully, Otabek sat the two of them side by side of the couch and Yuri had a chance to drink before he combusted.

 

“So, Otabek, you’re very...different today,” he began, cautiously not trying to sound like an asshole saying he’s an annoying drunk.

 

“Me when I’m wasted is, like, a completely different me from usual me,” he shrugged. “I also mixed a whole buunch of shit together and just kinda went hard today, sooo I’m not really sure what’s gonna happen but I feel good.”

 

Yuri couldn’t help but laugh. It was kind of amazing, watching this generally calm, stoic person become so giggly and touchy just after a couple drinks. He was definitely not complaining though, because as the night grew on, it became impossible to tell if his cheeks were flushed from the liquor or the man at his side. The two found themselves conversing anytime the opportunity arose, but not ever really going out of their way to talk to anyone except each other. JJ cracked a few tasteless jokes about the two of them dating throughout the night, which caused Yuri's heart to speed up just a little, and a short guy named Phichit took about a thousand pictures of everyone, including them. Every time he pointed a camera their way, Otabek and Yuri would do some sort of hand gesture, whether it wound up being a peace sign, a middle finger, or just a plain old thumbs up. 

 

Eventually, they grew tired of sitting and began to wander through everybody, going out to the balcony to get some air. They were winding down, the alcohol wearing off and sleepiness setting in. Aside from the few people having a smoke who eventually headed back inside, they were alone, seated on two plastic chairs.

 

“I’m so glad I met you, y’know?” Otabek began, breaking the warm silence in the midnight air. “You’re just so...fuckin’, cool and shit. A cool cat.”

 

Yuri giggled, his flustered smile disguised by the dim lighting surrounding them. “You’re pretty cool too. I’m glad I’m your cool cat.”

 

“Can I confess something to you?”

 

The mood instantly shifted. Yuri felt his heart rate pick up, the cicadas hardly felt as loud as the pause after he answered “Yes.”

 

“When I first met you, that night in the bathroom, there was...a reason. That I was so intrigued by you. I didn’t mean to come off as creepy or anything, but like, do you know why I wanted to be your friend? Like, have you caught on?” Otabek was practically staring into his soul, his dark, glossy eyes were soft.

 

“Wh-what was your reason?” He felt his hands shake.

 

“It was because...I kind of,” he ran his fingers through his hair. “Yuri, I fucking love Katy Perry.”

 

Yuri lost his shit. He doubled over, cackling and grabbing onto Otabek’s wrist. “You  _ really _ fuckin’ had me there, oh my god.”

 

The relief that washed over him wasn’t as strong as the disappointment, and that was the pain that Yuri found himself laughing through. He wasn’t ready to admit why his heart sank when the confession wasn’t what he expected, or maybe he was just drunk. But either way, it was a self-reflection meant for another day.

 

“Don’t laugh at me!” Otabek defended. “She’s my guilty pleasure! I haven’t told anyone that before.”

 

“I’m not laughing at you, I just…” He didn’t know how to finish that sentence without it seeming too, well,  _ gay _ . “I love her too, I thought that was just a given.”

 

“That’s fair,” he snickered, pulling Yuri into a weird side hug. “I’m just saying...that shows I trust you.”

 

Yuri’s heart skipped. “I trust you too.”

 

The two rested their heads on one another until a few minutes later when Minami came out. “Hey, Yuri, we should probably go,” he announced.

 

“Are you good to drive?” 

 

“Yeah, I only had one drink at the beginning,” he assured him. “I’m your D.D. And Otabek, do you need a ride?”

 

“I was gonna just stay over, but I rode here in Phichit’s car so…” He looked over at Yuri. “We should have a sleepover.”

 

“We have class tomorrow though?”

 

“So what? We have the same class, Plisetsky.”

 

He shrugged. “Fair enough.”

 

They followed Minami out, saying their farewells to JJ and anyone else in passing, the two of them slumping together in the backseat, and letting the soft motion of the car carry them home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i alternatively named this chapter 'me fueling my headcanon that drunk otabek is flirty and loud' because its so funny to me???? its kind of filler just so i could add in a bit of drunk otayuri and we'll get into some actual good shit soon
> 
> but anYWAY im hoping for weekly updates from here on out !! god bless your comments i love them so much they make my day 4752467043x better so !! nice 
> 
> also its gonna keep on getting gayer so keep on reading pls


	5. I Think I'm Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeah we talk for hours, you still wanna listen.  
> Won't hold it against me if I just need you to hold me tonight.  
> My mother always told me that you'd show up one day,  
> So scared to feel this way but love, I think I'm ready.

 

Yuri Plisetsky was about four  _ billion _ percent sure he wasn’t ready to deal with this.

 

After the party, he and Otabek went back to his dorm. It was just past two by then, and the alcohol was wearing off so they were tired but they didn’t really want to sleep. Yuri stripped off his jeans and jacket, leaving himself in just his shirt and boxers. He usually slept like that alone as opposed to around others, but he was too tipsy and tired to care. Plus, it was Otabek, who also was stripping down to just boxers and holy shit wait what.

 

Yuri found himself nearly gawking at Otabek, with his back turned, was pulling off layers of clothing to be more comfortable for sleep. He wound up also just in boxers and a T-shirt, but he was like,  _ beefy _ , so Yuri was completely dazed. He felt the heat creep up the back of his neck and that was when he finally realized he needed to turn away. Once they both were ready and Otabek had hauled himself into Yuri’s bed, he turned off the light and took his spot next to him.

 

Lying awake with Otabek by his side felt like a reminder of the facts he’d been avoiding.

 

“I had fun with you tonight, Yuri,” he murmured into the low lit room.

 

“I had fun too,” he smiled softly. “You’re becoming someone very important to me really quickly.”

 

He felt Otabek chuckle. “Good, because I feel the same.”

 

The silence fell back around them as Yuri felt Otabek’s nose press just a little more into his arm. Yuri was lying on his back, trying to avoid making things too, well,  _ gay _ , but Otabek didn’t care. He was on his side, with his face snuggled into Yuri and his arm snaked around his waist. He hadn’t assumed this position until the lights were already out though, thankfully, because there was a very furious and apparent blush all across Yuri’s face, only masked by the dark. The feeling of Otabek touching him in even the most domestic of ways was something that made his heart skip in ways that friends shouldn’t feel. Just friends.

 

Just friends don’t have to concentrate on keeping their dick down when another just friend is basically spooning you.

 

He managed though, barely being able to force himself to sleep with all the excitement running through him, and the next morning when the alarm went off at 11, the two groaned into each other. Yuri woke up, legs entangled with Otabek’s and face smushed into his collarbone, and had no real reaction except  _ holy fucking shit _ .

 

“Morning, sunshine,” Otabek grimaced as he stretched, Yuri feeling the shifting of his chest beneath his cheek. He shot up before realizing what a fucking mistake that was.

 

“Ah, shit, fuck,” he smacked his hand over his head. The swift movement made his hungover brain turn into mush. Mush that fucking hurt. “G’morning.”

 

“You sound like your head feels great,” he chuckled, sitting up beside Yuri. “Did you drink water last night?”

 

“No, I was busy drinking alcohol.”

 

“You moron,” Otabek snorted, standing up and beginning to put his pants back on. “Drink as much water as you do liquor, it’ll ease the hangover.”

 

“Thanks for the tip, but it’s kinda late for that,” he practically growled, massaging his temples with his thumb and forefinger.

 

“I’m gonna head back to my room to change and be less grimy,” Otabek informed him. “I’ll buy your coffee this morning, alright?”

 

“You don’t have to,” he started to argue, but the look on his friend’s face said that this was something that probably wasn’t worth fighting. “Thanks.”

 

He nodded, gave Yuri a thumbs up, and headed off to his dorm at the other end of the hall.

 

In that first moment alone, he threw his head down against his knees, and with clenched fists and eyes squeezed shut, hissed out a frustrated, “ _ Fuuuuuck _ .”

 

The word to properly describe his feelings was just there, barely dancing on the tip of his tongue, begging to just be said once to get it out there and over with, but Yuri was entirely too stubborn to admit it. He knew that it fell somewhere between friend and something much more, but he just couldn’t do it. He texted Minami after a solid few minutes of his own inner turmoil. It’s not like he wanted to text him or anything though. Minami was the one who forced his number into Yuri’s phone, and I guess talking just kind of stuck.

 

**To: annoying lil bitch**

**minami please help**

 

**From: annoying lil bitch**

**What is it???**

 

Yuri sucked in a breath, typing away as fast as he could before he changed his mind about telling someone.

 

**To: annoying lil bitch**

**i have a c word that i am feeling and i am dying**

 

**From: annoying lil bitch**

**Oh my god yuri do you have chlamydia???????**

 

**To: annoying lil bitch**

**what the fuck no im not gross. A different one. a worse one.**

 

**From: annoying lil bitch**

**CANCER?????**

 

He had to resist the urge to chuck his goddamn phone at the wall. This fucking idiot.

 

**To: annoying lil bitch**

**NO FUCKING HELL MINAMI**

 

**From: annoying lil bitch**

**What is it then???**

 

**To: annoying lil bitch**

**i have…..a crush**

 

He paused, waiting patiently for the explosion of Minami losing his shit for finally having heard Yuri admit to being so gay for Otabek. But his response was entirely unexpected.

 

**From: annoying lil bitch**

**Oh well duh! Anyone with eyes can see that**

 

**To: annoying lil bitch**

**WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN**

 

**From: annoying lil bitch**

**Literally all night you could NOT take your eyes off of Otabek, plus you hang out with him nonstop, plus its just totally obvious. Even JJ asked me how long you’ve been together.**

 

Okay, so now he  _ did _ throw his phone, but the clattering of it hitting the wall and then the ground was even too loud for it to not hurt Yuri’s head, so all he did was grumble to himself as he went to pick it up.

 

Okay. He admitted he has a crush. 

 

So what if he wants to be a little gay with his good pal? Just bro stuff right? Yeah, no. He can lie to himself about liking Otabek but he cannot lie to himself as if he’s some kind of fuckboy bro. He did like him though, that was out in the open. Even thinking about being around Otabek made his heart soar, pumping so irregularly when he was around that for the first few days, Yuri was worried that he should go to the doctor. Waking up intertwined with him like that this morning was heaven, but also hell because he knew he couldn’t do anything more than that. Having a crush is like being in purgatory--you’re happy to be around the person and spend time together, but god damn it hurts to not be able to be, well, y’know, super  _ gay _ with them.

 

Yuri realized he needed to put a pin in his train of though to revisit later, as time was ticking down and he needed to get dressed. He slid into the same jeans as the night before, and tossed on a big hoodie over it. It was sunny enough that day for sunglasses to actually be needed, so he didn’t feel like a hangover stereotype when he propped his up on his head. By then, Otabek had just returned with two coffees and a change of clothes, gesturing for him and Yuri to head out.

 

Everything felt just a little bit different from then on.

 

Riding on the back of his motorcycle, Yuri held on just a little bit tighter. Walking, he stepped just a little bit closer. In class, he leaned in just a little bit further.

 

Fucking Minami though, watched the two of them enter the lecture hall with only seconds until class began, with a smug grin plastered across his face.

 

“Did you guys have fun last night?” he asked innocently. Yuri gripped his pen a little tighter.

 

The two nodded. “I wish someone had told me to drink more water, but yeah, it was good,” Yuri agreed.

 

Katsuki entered the room and greeted everyone before Minami had a chance to respond. Yuri was grateful for class beginning, mostly so he could distract himself and not have to think too deeply into any of his morning epiphanies. Unfortunately though, Katsuki began class by talking about his husband, so it became a little difficult to be distracted.

 

“Okay, so before we start today, I have a story for you guys,” he began, grinning wide as ever and sitting on the edge of his desk. “So, you all know how I am the biggest fan of Edo-era art styles? Obviously I am, I teach a class on the history of things like that. Well, Viktor brought me home an entire book that’s basically an anthology of all the great works from the time period, one I’ve wanted for  _ years _ but I always felt like it was too much to treat myself to. Like, he’s so amazing, I don’t understand how he knew  _ that _ was the one I wanted, but he did.” He smiled a little more softly just to himself, before blinking himself back out of his romantic trance and cleared his throat. “So, uh, if any of you wanted to look through after class, I brought it to show you. I know we haven’t gotten there quite yet, but it’s a pretty neat book!”

 

Yuri leaned over to Otabek and quietly snickered. “Katsuki sure does talk about his husband a lot, don’t you think?”

 

“He does, but I think it’s sweet.”

 

He stammered a bit, trying to seem less irritable because he thought Otabek wouldn’t be the type for PDA. “Well, yeah, but I mean, I just guess it’s in class and I’m bitter, so it feels kinda extra.”

 

“I think if you care about someone, you should always talk about them like he does. Why wouldn’t you want that?”

 

“I guess that makes sense. I just figured he’d do it to friends.”

 

Otabek shrugged. “He probably does it even more to them. I just know I talk a lot about people I care about.”

 

“You don’t really talk much about anyone to me?”

 

Yuri swore he sensed a bit of panic coming from him. “Oh, I mean, I talk about you a lot to other people. You are my closest friend, after all.”

 

Heat rushed to his cheeks. “Yeah, yeah. I-I do the same.”

 

Otabek glanced over at him for just a moment. “You blush a lot.”

 

“I do not!” he protested in a stage whisper as it grew an even deeper red.

 

He shook his head, smiling to himself and returning his attention to his notes. “Sure you don’t.”

 

Yuri was left with no real choice but to leave the comment alone; he wasn’t about to start a fight with Otabek in the middle of class over something so stupid. He was angry because he didn’t realize that Otabek had noticed exactly  _ how _ often he got flustered around him, and he knew that it would happen to him twice as much just because his body liked to spite him.

  
He brushed the thought off. There were more important things to worry about, like the Heian period and shogunates and literally anything except his disgustingly massive crush on the boy writing notes beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was shorter than i wanted it to be but goD it has been a long week bear w me
> 
> my boy tho...finally realizing his gay ass feelings. im so thankful. things will keep on getting gayer, and also pls keep fueling my ego with comments bc i LOVE reading them so much


	6. Teenage Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My heart stops when you look at me,  
> Just one touch,  
> Now baby I believe this is real,  
> So take a chance and don't ever look back, don't ever look back.

Yuri Plisetsky was about four  _ billion _ percent sure he couldn’t be alone with himself.

 

After class on Wednesdays, Otabek had another lecture to attend, so Yuri always took time to head to the ballet studio and practice because nobody was there very often in that time slot. He had always tried to use that time to better his skills while also clearing his head, but being left with nothing but classical piano MP3s and his complex thoughts, it became significantly more difficult to feel at peace. After tying up his flats and beginning warm-up stretches, he took the pin out of the thoughts from that morning.

 

He pondered back to at the beginning of class, when Otabek mentioned his appreciation for those who talk about their significant other a lot. It sent his pulse racing when he had said that the only person he really talked about to anyone was none other than Yuri himself. That had to be some kind of sign, right? The biggest issue with the situation was Yuri’s difficulty with reading Otabek. He was generally a very composed person, with a pokerface to be reckoned with. On the other hand, there was Yuri, whose stupid blush was a constant giveaway as to how he was feeling about certain things. In this case, those things were when Otabek said anything even a little gay, made literally any physical contact with him, and so on.

 

It was fucking  _ annoying _ . And he felt like he was gonna implode.

 

He decided to completely throw himself into his dance, working each grand jete and pirouette with every ounce his body could give. By the time his hour and a half of practice was finished, he was nearly drenched in sweat. He had not just felt the burn, he felt actual pain. As he finally completed his last run through, he heard a noise of approval from behind him.

 

Madame Baranovskaya had been watching, and she nodded to him, pleased. “That is discipline. Now, why aren’t you in classes here?”

 

“I’m a history major, my grandfather didn’t appreciate my interest in ballet,” Yuri panted, taking sips from his water.

 

“Shame. You should allow me to work with you,” she mused. “Your form and execution is damn near perfect, and often I don’t believe perfection can be achieved, but I think with my help, you can get closer than anyone.”

 

Had he more breath, Yuri would have gasped. “That means a lot. Thank you, Madame.”

 

“I want you to start coming in on a schedule. Every other day.”

 

“Is there a time you prefer?”

 

“This time should work, no? Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, then Saturday mornings.”

 

Yuri nodded immediately. “I have no classes in those times, so I’d be honored.”

 

Madame Baranovskaya gave a hum of satisfaction, turning to signify her time to leave. “I look forward to working with you, Plisetsky.”

 

“You too, Madame.”

 

As she left, Yuri finally let himself collapse and be the exhausted mess he really was, as opposed to him trying to maintain some poise and respectability when Baranovskaya was in the room. He highly respected her, and for her to give him such compliments was astounding.

 

But, of fucking course, his first thought was, “ _ Oh my god, I can’t wait to tell Otabek. _ ”

 

He groaned, gathering his things up to shower. Even when he received some of the most treasured praise of his goddamn life, this stupid, high school crush still managed to snake its way into his mind. Did that mean this was more than just a crush? Ugh, hopefully not.

 

He showered in the locker room as quickly as he could, throwing on fresh clothes and combing through his hair before strolling out of the building. Every Wednesday, Otabek picked him up after his other class and they grabbed some food. Both of their schedules made their eating habits completely out of whack, so they usually had breakfast around 11, lunch around 4, and then dinner by 8 or 9pm. So, as part of their routine, they had lunch.

 

Yuri, waiting on the steps of the entrance to the studio, was approached by the revving sounds of Otabek’s bike. The familiar engine made his heart hum, the sound of a motorcycle now being associated with seeing the person he was interested in. It was so  _ stupid _ , but still completely apparent, and there wasn’t much he felt like doing about it.

 

When Otabek pulled him, he tossed Yuri his helmet. “How was practice?”

 

“Fucking amazing, I’ll tell you about it when we eat,” he enthused as he climbed over the back. “Where are we going today?”

 

“Same restaurant as last week?”

 

“I’m down.”

 

The two made their way to a familiar Italian place, where Yuri could barely contain telling Otabek about the results of his practice. Once they were seated and with drinks, he finally blurted out.

 

“Madame Baranovskaya wants to work with me  _ personally _ because she thinks I’m so good!”

 

Otabek’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

 

“Yes! And it’s gonna be so intense but I think I have a real shot at maybe doing this for a living. She’s so accredited, if I can use her as a reference in auditions and such, I could get actual work!”

 

There was a pause, Otabek smiling softly to himself. “That’s absolutely fantastic, Yuri. I want to see you dance though. I never have.”

 

It then dawned on Yuri; he was right. He always scheduled his practices when Otabek was busy, and it’s not like he was in classes that had recitals or anything, so he was completely unaware of where his skill level was even at. He then grew anxious that because of the good news, Otabek would have higher expectations than Yuri could meet.

 

“I mean, I can show you something later on tonight, if you want.”

 

“Does the studio close though?”

 

“Not until midnight.”

 

“We can go after Yakov’s class?” Otabek suggested, sipping on his soda. 

 

“Ugh, yeah, I’ll need to de-stress myself after listening to that guy for two hours anyway,” Yuri groaned. “We can do that then.”

 

Otabek smiled at him, and the two continued their usual weekly lunch. They complained about classes before getting into another heated debate where Otabek played devil’s advocate, insisting bands like Nickelback were better than Elton John or The Ramones. Yuri knew he did it just to push his buttons, but he still fought back every time because it just made his skin  _ crawl _ to hear shit like that. Eventually, they finished up and parted ways until Yakov’s class began at six.

 

Yuri was a ball of nerves.

 

He had spent all day over-thinking what could go very right or very wrong when showing Otabek his ballet abilities. Like, what if he completely ate shit and broke his ankle? Or his nose? Or if he turned into a complete gross sweaty mess when just doing simple moves? But then he’d counter those thoughts with, well, what if he did perfectly and Otabek completely fell for him? Or was completely intimidated? But what if he  _ did _ fall in love?

 

_ Okay, Yuri, please. Just...stop that. For like, a minute. _

 

He shook himself out of that train of thought once more, trying to focus on the dozen assignments Yakov was throwing at them as per usual.

 

The lecture droned on until it was finally over, and Yuri had only grown more anxious by the second. Hopping on the back of Otabek’s bike, he clutched the back of his jacket with a lot more shakiness than usual. Otabek noticed too, because upon arriving at the studio, he looked at Yuri quizzically.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

Yuri nodded, clearly nervous. “I’ll be okay.”

 

“You don’t have to do this, you know.”

 

“I know, I know, I just...I really wanna show you this part of me, y’know? I just don’t want to fuck it up.”

 

“You’ll be great, I promise,” Otabek reassured, smiling at him.

 

Yuri nodded and the two headed into the building. Yuri pointed Otabek to the studio while he ran to quickly get changed into practice clothes. He may or may not have packed ones that are particularly flattering, but there was obviously no motive behind that. He made his way into the room, nodding at Otabek, who gave him a thumbs up.

 

He did a few simple stretches that were necessary before this routine, before plugging in his phone to the aux and playing one of the few songs he had solid programs for.

 

And then he let himself get lost in it.

 

His worries were shed the moment the first note was played. Each limb extracted the anxiety and turned it into poise, motion flowing from him with complete grace. This program was versatile--he could use it for either ballet or skating and the performance was similar--so he knew it like the back of his hand by then, pushing himself further and further to success. The several minutes hardly felt like long enough, and upon completion, he looked over at his friend seated at the back of the room.

 

He was stunned.

 

“So...what do you think?” Yuri asked, carefully stepping over to Otabek.

 

“I...holy fucking hell,” was all he managed. “Baranovskaya was not kidding around when she chose you to mentor.”

 

Yuri blushed completely. “...Really?”

 

“I am dead serious. That was probably the most beautiful performance I’ve seen in..ever.”

 

Yuri breathed a sigh of relief, collapsing to his knees and grinning. “Thank you so much. Fuck, thank you.”

 

He was so overwhelmed with relief and gratitude that he could hardly think. He had done it; he impressed the one person he so desperately wanted to think highly of him. Fuck, he had done it.

 

“Hey, Yuri, doesn’t your hair in your eyes bother you?” Otabek asked, pulling him from his train of thought.

 

“I mean, a little, why?”

 

“I just was noticing. Would you be okay with me braiding it?”

 

Yuri turned pinker. “I don’t mind.”

 

Otabek sat on the ground now, having Yuri turn around and gather his hair at the nape of his neck. He was usually not one for having his hair touched, but Otabek running his fingers through it and moving around each strand with such care, it made him feel so warm. He had never felt as content with Otabek as he did in that instant, and god, it was a good feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kjahsgjmlksfgmalk im tryna do a lot of buildup and slow burn shit but its so haRD i want them to just make out already
> 
> thank u for sticking with me through this guys itll pick up soon i promise
> 
> EDIT: some major shit came up so the next update may not be for awhile!! sorry guys aaaa


	7. E.T.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your touch, magnetizing, feels like I am floating, leaves my body glowing.

Yuri Plisetsky was about four  _ billion _ percent sure his heart couldn't take any more.

 

After Otabek finished braiding his hair, Yuri turned back around to smile at him. “Thank you for this.”

 

“Of course,” Otabek nodded. “This is a good look for you.”

 

Yuri’s cursed blush returned, but he quickly tried to distract from it by offering shitty microwave mac n’ cheese back in his dorm for dinner. They spend so much time going out to places for meals that it was rare to just have a gross college-esque dinner, so he figured now would be a good time to offer it and spend some time together alone.

 

“That works for me,” Otabek smiled, standing up and beginning to lead Yuri out of the building. “I’m a sucker for mac n’ cheese.”

 

As they made their way out of there, Yuri couldn’t help but feel elated, hardly believing that Otabek had loved his performance so much. Showing off what he was passionate about and having it be well received was one of his favorite feelings. But that led to a reminder that had sat in the back of his mind for awhile now.

 

“Hey, Beka, don’t you skate too?”

 

“Oh, yeah, that’s actually part of my scholarship to come here,” he said plainly, as if it was no big deal.

 

He stopped in his tracks. “What!? And I haven’t seen you? You know I skate too, right? I’m just not as good at it as I am at ballet.”

 

“I’m sure if it’s even a fraction as good as the way you dance, it’ll be flawless.”

 

Yuri’s entire body lit up with warmth. “Well, I wouldn’t say that...But I wanna see you skate.”

 

“Tomorrow,” Otabek assured him, climbing onto his bike. “I’ll show you then.”

 

Yuri grinned, nodding profusely and hopping on behind him. “Deal.”

 

The two rode back to the dorms, neither speaking much. There was an air of excitement and anxiety lingering over them, filled with the reminiscence of the performance just witnessed and the anticipation for the one that will follow tomorrow. It quickly faded by the time they reached Yuri’s bedroom and their hunger took over. They devoured four containers of the mac n cheese while flipping through channels of Yuri’s small television. They settled on some bizarre reality TV show as they sat back and let their food digest.

 

Laughing and heckling the show together was somehow one of Yuri’s favorite moments with Otabek. Sitting side by side, leaning into each other almost magnetically when they burst into chuckles. It was hypnotic, losing themselves in the bliss of just existing together. It was almost painful though, with Yuri having to repress the urge to be just a little closer, touch just a little longer. He felt himself transcending past reason, his desire overpowering his sanity.

 

“I love spending time with you,” he said one of the times after laughter had died down. “Like, fuck, how are you so easy to be around?”

 

“How am I supposed to answer that?” Otabek shook his head, smiling Yuri’s favorite smile. (Which, for the record, was any smile of his). “I love spending time with you too, though. You really are my best friend.”

 

The familiar pink hue spread through Yuri’s cheeks. “You’re mine too. Don’t tell Minami though, he’ll kick my ass.”

 

“I think he’s pretty aware,” he shrugged, leaning back on his elbow, which prompted Yuri to do the same. “I think anyone who knows us is aware.”

 

Yuri nodded, the conversation trailing off. His eyes flicked between Otabek’s lips and his eyes, hardly trying to rid the atmosphere of the tension that weighed around them. Part of him wanted to do something to break it, but something in him was screaming to let it be and see where it took them. His rationale won over though, and he sat up fully, trying to force his attention back towards the TV.

 

Something ridiculous happened onscreen, and Yuri tried to look back over at Otabek to make a joke, but found him still looking at Yuri with the same intensity as before.

 

He was about to speak, asking what was going on, but was cut off by an incredibly forceful hand pulling him down into a kiss. One of Otabek’s hands was wrapped around the back of Yuri’s neck, the other snaking up to press against his lower back. The moment their lips broke for an instant, Yuri letting out some breathy sound that he was gonna kick himself for later, but in the moment, he didn’t care. He dove back in, pushing himself closer, letting his inner eros take over. His tongue darted in and out of Otabek’s mouth, dragging an  _ incredibly  _ satisfying groan from him, which led Yuri to letting Otabek press his knee between his legs. They spent a good amount of time building a rhythm together, Yuri pulling and scratching at Otabek’s shirt, attempting to bring him impossibly closer. It took all of his willpower to not begin breathlessly grinding against Otabek’s leg, and his libido was saved by the bell in the most miserable way possible: a knock on the door.

 

They both froze, turning their heads to the door.

 

“Yuuuri, open up,” Minami’s voice whined from the other side, followed by another knock. 

 

Yuri stood up and smoothed out his clothes at the speed of light, stumbling over to the door and opening it just enough to poke his head out. “What is it?” he spat through clenched teeth.

 

“What’s wrong with you today? I need help with the homework in Katsuki’s class because I’m so bad at staying focused.”

 

Yuri looked back at Otabek, their wide eyes meeting before he turned back to Minami. “I’m kind of in the middle of something.”

 

“Like what, watching TV and scrolling through Instagram?” he scoffed. “Come on.”

 

Yuri began to protest before Otabek stood up, grabbing his bag. “I think I’ll just go, alright? I’ll, uh, see you tomorrow.” Before he could try to make him stay, Otabek was already pushing past them to go back to his room.

 

Once he was gone, Yuri yanked Minami into his room and slammed the door behind him. “Fucking  _ hell,  _ Minami.”

 

“What?”

 

“I was in the  _ middle of something _ ,” he glaring, praying to God that Minami wasn’t clueless enough to not understand.

 

Thankfully, he wasn’t. “Were you and Otabek…?”

 

“ _ Yes _ .”

 

His eyes widened. “Shit, I am so sorry. Do you want me to go get him or something?”

 

“No, I don’t even know what to fucking do right now except maybe punch you in the fucking teeth,” he growled, sitting on the edge of his bed.\

 

“How far were you guys?”

 

“We were like, fucking, I don’t know, making out and shit. You fucking killed it.”

 

Minami shook his head. “I am so so so  _ sorry _ , Yuri. I didn’t know!”

 

“Just, fucking,  _ leave _ or something, please.”

  
“I’ll get the homework from JJ,” he nodded, apologizing once more before scampering out the door, leaving Yuri with nothing but his own miserable, burning crush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO I AM SO SORRY I DIDNT UPDATE FOR SO LONG!! i was in a treatment center for like a month, and I didn't have access to any internet or anything. but im making up for it with this chapter. things are boutta get HEATED from here on out. its kind of short but im gonna try to get the next chapter out this weekish?? so i will try to make up for the long hiatus with two chapters in a week. thank you for reading though and sticking through this!!!!


	8. This Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All we have is this moment.  
> Tomorrow's unspoken, yesterday is history, so why don't you be here with me?

Yuri Plisetsky was about four  _ billion _ percent sure that he wanted to chase Otabek down and finish what they started. Or at least  _ talk _ about it? Maybe?

 

Once he was alone again, he furiously chucked his pillow at the wall before smashing his face into the mattress, letting out a long, distraught groan. Not only was the rug completely pulled out from underneath romantic side’s stability, but he had also been starting to get turned on, so he had that issue to fucking deal with. Yuri wanted nothing more than for Otabek to just come back. Maybe not even to have sex, just to be together would be enough. There was so much buildup romantically that he didn’t even know how to get those feelings out anymore beyond just spending time with him and doing domestic shit.

 

There was one thing he knew how to do though, and it involved a lot of sad Father John Misty songs and a mostly full fifth of vodka.

 

By the time he reached that solution though, it was nearly midnight. From there on out, he refused to think about anything relating to Otabek, which was difficult until about halfway through his drinking. From then on out, I Love You Honeybear was just a song, as opposed to Yuri’s desperate attempt at fantasy. He swung from side to side around his room, cradling his bottle like the pathetic lightweight he felt like, acoustic guitar ringing through his room. That was all he really needed to move on what had just occurred, until he got a text to send him back about twenty steps.

 

**From: Beka**

**Hey, do you want to talk?**

 

_ Fuck. _

 

**To: Beka**

**sure**

 

_ Fuuuuuuck. _

 

He then vigorously chugged the remainder of the liquor, placing the empty bottle back in the drawer where it was first hidden. He went over to his mirror, tucking stray hairs into place and straightening himself up as the room began to blur further. Several minutes went by, and he didn't pause the music even when the light tapping came at his door.

 

“Hi,” Otabek said simply as Yuri opened the door.

 

“Hi,” he replied, realizing how difficult even the smallest conversation would be while this fucked up.

 

“I can come in, right?”

 

Yuri nodded, gesturing for him to enter as he stumbled over his own feet. “What did you wanna, uh, talk about?”

 

“I guess I wanted to apologize. For earlier.” He ran his fingers through his hair, not making eye contact. “I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that.”

 

It took him a moment to process. Otabek...thought he was doing something wrong? That literally didn't calculate in Yuri’s mind. “But, if I liked it, why are you apologizing?”

 

“Because I just wasn't sure and--” he cut himself off. “Wait, what?”

 

“I  _ liked _ it, sooo…” Yuri raised an eyebrow, leaning against his bed so he didn't completely topple over.

 

“I wasn't sure if you were just going with it because you didn't know how to stop me.”

 

“Have you  _ met _ me, Altin? I'm not passive, I am  _ aggressive _ . Sometimes passive-aggressive, but that's beside the point,” he slurred out. “The point is that I am in need of a very tall glass of water and I think you might be that water?”

 

There was silence. “Are you drunk?”

 

“Maybe.”

 

Otabek sighed, shaking his head. “Yeah, I’m just gonna talk about this with you later then.”

 

“No no no,” Yuri whined, stepping between him and the door. “Please, don't leeave.”

 

“How am I supposed to tell you anything like this?”

 

“Do we have to talk? Can’t we just...continue where we left off earlier?”

 

“Do you genuinely think that's a good idea right now?”

 

Yuri nodded. “I only got drunk so I wouldn't spend all night just fuckin’ wishing to continue, but I can now, so like...yolo.”

 

Otabek’s seemingly hurt expression softened as he cracked a smile. “Yuri, this isn't 2012 anymore. You can't expect me to take ‘yolo’ seriously.”

 

Yuri took a step closer to him, resting his arms on Otabek’s shoulders, half for the romance of it and half because if he didn't, he would have fallen the fuck over. “Is that a yes?”

 

“I don't want to take advantage of you.”

 

“What if  _ you  _ drink too then?” he pleaded, beginning to sway to Chateau Lobby as it began to play through the speakers. “Then we’re even?”

 

“We literally just drank last night,” he reasoned, still partaking in the slow dance despite his protests.

 

“Then what can I do to make you just  _ fucking  _ kiss me again?” Yuri groaned, throwing his head back in frustration.

 

Before he could bring his head up once more, a pair of warm and borderline desperate lips were pressed against his neck. Yuri’s breath hitched, feeling the sensation of kissing up to his jaw, his ear, as Otabek made a path to his lips. The two melted into one another, the air around them filling with soft breathing. It was Yuri’s tongue that made its way into the equation first, with Otabek’s following very quickly after. Yuri trailed his fingers down Otabek’s back, stopping right before his shirt ended, balling it into fists, and pulling him closer. This would've worked, had Yuri been stable enough to not fall back onto the bed from the weight. 

 

Fortunately, Otabek followed. Their entire bodies were now pressed together, Yuri being pinned to the bed. He pushed his hips ever so slightly into Otabek, drawing out a raspy groan from him. He readjusted the two of them in bed, so they weren't awkwardly half-draped over the edge. The fact that Otabek moved him so effortlessly and intensely was only more of a turn on for Yuri. 

 

“ _ Bekaaa, _ ” he drawled out, switching the location of his kisses to Otabek’s jaw. “Do you like me?”

 

“Of course I do,” he murmured back, pulling one hand up from Yuri’s waist to run it through his hair. “How could I not?”

 

Yuri found himself grinning against his lover’s ear before biting at it. It became apparent how much they both were holding back almost instantly after that. Otabek gruffly positioned himself so he was kneeling over Yuri between his legs, grinding down into him in a way that sent shudders through Yuri’s spine. 

 

Yuri was never one for being quiet. He made just about every sound possible as he grew more and more aroused, biting and scratching at every inch of Otabek that he could get his hands on. It wasn't long until he worked both of their shirts off, and was leaving behind a trail of dark red love bites across Otabek’s neck and chest. They were both really apparently hard by then, frotting against each other with a level of desperation that even they couldn’t fathom.

 

“Yuri...Yuri.” Otabek finally sighed out shakily. “I don’t think I can do this.”

 

“Why not?” he whined, leaving pleading kisses along his neck.

 

“You’re drunker than I think you even realize. My conscience isn’t going to let me take advantage of you.”

 

“And you waited until  _ now _ to tell me that?”

 

“I thought I could try, but I just can’t.”

 

Yuri shuddered out an extremely sexually frustrated sigh, before pulling away and nodding. “That’s okay. I just... _ fuck _ .”

 

“I’m sorry,” Otabek shook his head, resting his hands on his thighs.

 

“You don’t have to be, I just, like, fuck, I don’t know,” he sputtered. Thinking while intoxicated was hard enough without libido clouding thoughts even more. “I don’t want you to go.”

 

“Are you  _ sure _ ?”

 

Yuri gave a confident nod that prompted Otabek to say they should get some sleep then. He went back to his room to change into clothes to sleep in (though the length of time spent away implied he wasn’t doing just that) while Yuri dizzily tried to do the same. He managed to get into leopard print sweatpants but gave up on trying to wear a shirt before crawling into the bed that felt filled with leftover desire. There wasn’t anything he could do about it though. Not until he was sober. He couldn't even really process what had just happened fully with his body full of alcohol.

 

Otabek returned, lying down beside Yuri, back facing him. 

 

“Will things be the same in the morning?” Yuri asked after several minutes of silence. He knew neither of them could sleep.

 

“The same as before or the same as right now?”

 

“Either.”

 

A pause. “I don't know.”

 

After that, they didn’t say much beyond simple goodnights, and Yuri began to feel a dread that he had fucked everything up. Please, don't let things be fucked up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lets rename this fic 'yuri literally only knows how to handle romantic situations when hes fucked up'
> 
> its gonna get a lil angsty now bear with me. neither of these fuckers know anything about properly communicating emotions so its gonna get messy after their hormonal escapades lmao. BUT nonetheless thank u all for putting up with me and my writing so far!!! keep leaving comments bc they fuel my ego and also ur input actually affects the storylines and stuff so if u have ideas, im super open to them!!
> 
> thisll also be the last super short chapter, i like to try to keep them around 2k words at least and these last 2 have been only like 1k


	9. Wide Awake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gravity hurts, you made it so sweet.  
> 'Til I woke up on the concrete.

Yuri Plisetsky was about four  _ billion _ percent sure that he had in fact fucked everything up.

 

For starters, he tried to drunkenly coerce Otabek into sleeping with him, which at the time seemed rational but in retrospect, he wanted to go back and punch himself in the teeth. And also, when he woke up the next morning, his bed was empty.

 

He went to check his phone, his desk, for any kind of note saying “Oh! I have class, Yuri, I’m totally not just bailing!” or “Sorry, I got called in for an interview, I’ll be back later!” but was left with just a blank notification screen and a lingering sense of remorse. His room felt hollow without Otabek there, like there was too much space around him for only one body to take up. It made him feel like shrinking down into nothingness, melting between his sheets and not solidifying until some sign came along to show him that he didn’t destroy the best thing he ever had.

 

Though he was seeing things as black or white, he did think back to Otabek’s confession.

 

_ “Do you like me?” _

 

_ “Of course I do.” _

 

It almost brought a silver lining to an extremely gray morning. He knew this wasn’t unrequited, but how far did that go? What if Yuri’s crush was much more intense than Beka’s, and he had scared him off by being so pushy the night before? The what if’s were endless, and it hurt his head too much to think about. So, he figured he’d let someone else do the thinking for him.

 

**To: annoying lil bitch**

**minami**

 

**From: annoying lil bitch**

**Yuri!! What do you need?**

 

**To: annoying lil bitch**

**come over pls i fucked up and i am dying**

 

**From: annoying lil bitch**

**You know, if you were so dramatic, I’d be legitimately concerned right now.**

 

**To: annoying lil bitch**

**shut the fuck up and come console me**

 

He received an answer that agreed, and within the next couple of minutes, Minami had come in.

 

“Okay, before I give you any kind of help, you have to admit that I’m your friend and you enjoy having me around,” he proposed, thinking the issue at hand was no big deal.

 

“You’re my friend and I like having you around now please fucking help me,” Yuri spat out as quickly as he could. It caused Minami’s eyes to widen.

 

“I thought it’d be harder to get that out of you, what’s wrong?”

 

“Last night, Otabek came back,” he began, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. “But I was drunk and I made out with him a lot and we were on the complete verge of getting each other off.”

 

“Well, what stopped that?” Minami was practically drooling over the details, so invested in the drama as if it was some sort of fucking TV show. All he was missing was popcorn.

 

“I was  _ drunk _ and he has a moral compass.”

 

“That’s fair,” he nodded, glancing around as he thought. “Why is that a crisis though? You like him.”

 

“ _ Because _ he stayed in my bed last night and I woke up with him gone,” Yuri grimaced. “I scared him off because I was so fucking pushy!”

 

“I’m sure he just had something he needed to do, Yuri--”

 

“Minami. I know his schedule by heart and Beka never gets up before 9am if he doesn’t have to.”

 

“Aw, you call him Beka?” Minami squealed. “That’s adorable!”

 

“Refocus!” Yuri snapped, verbally and with his actual hand.

 

“Well, my best bet is to call him. Do you have class with him today?”

 

He nodded. “Twice.”

 

“Then, see if he’s there, and just  _ talk _ to him. Don’t beat around the bush or try to be subtle or anything. Just tell him that you guys need to figure out what’s going on between the both of you.”

 

Yuri let out a long and miserably sigh. He knew Minami was right, but it was so much easier to be vague and distant than upfront about things like this. When he thought Otabek was stalking him, his anger was what pushed him to be confrontational, and anger usually was the only strong emotion he felt. Romance was a whole other mess, and he felt too nervous about the whole ordeal to want to fuck anything up by being confrontational. The only time he was fearless enough to do that was when he’s drunk, and obviously that couldn’t work, so he had to brace himself for the complete unknown.

 

After thanking Minami and sending him off, Yuri plucked a simple outfit from his closet and decided to get breakfast at an appropriate time for once. It was 9:12am, and he hadn’t been awake and ready at this hour since the first morning he had breakfast with Otabek. He sat at his favorite spot at the cafe, ordered his favorite breakfast, and tried to let himself relax. Treat yo’ self and all that shit.

 

The hours that followed felt like literal years, and there was nothing he could do.

 

He waited around, popping headphones in his heads and moseying around campus, doing everything in his power to avoid thinking and overthinking the same shit over and over again. The volume couldn’t drown out the one question pressing into every corner of his mind: What was going to happen to him and Otabek?

 

Things would be fine though, he reassured himself weakly. He had two classes with Otabek that day, and he had once told him that he never misses class. Yuri had high hopes when walking into his Politics and War course, only to find as time went on, Otabek never showed.

 

Just one class though, right? Maybe he got sick and spent the morning throwing up, and that’s why he left and then also didn’t go to class. Maybe he’d be well enough to be in Nikiforov’s class that afternoon.

 

He apparently wasn’t.

 

Yuri felt so angry, at himself mostly, but also Otabek. Rage tears stinging in the corners of his eyes, he threw his stuff down and forced all of his attention into the content of the lecture rather than the stupid asshole who was avoiding him because Yuri himself was also a stupid asshole. Learning about Soviet nonconformist art and some prick named Gerasimov wasn’t any better though. Nikiforov was so passionate about fucking everything that Yuri honestly felt like there wasn’t a point in trying to hype himself up to that level. So he left.

 

Immediately, he pulled out his phone and dialed Otabek. No answer. Another dial, another missed call. He gripped his phone with a force that could have broken it had he not had a protective case, trying to call one more time before giving up, and on that time, he answered.

 

“Yuri,” was all he said before getting cut off.

 

“Save it,” he hissed back. “I need to talk to you in person.”

 

“Meet me by the skating rink then.”

 

“Fine,” he muttered, hanging up and jamming his phone in his pocket. The rink was too far to walk, and as angry as he was, he still missed riding on Otabek’s bike to get places. He decided on taking a cab for now, anxiously jiggling his leg the entire ride. Thinking about it, he didn’t even know what he would say. He spent all this time overthinking what could be happening that he didn’t stop to think how he’d handle each scenario.

 

Otabek was waiting outside when the car pulled up. The air was growing icier by the day, as the end of October was nearing. The wind blew back his hair in this fucking frustrating, really hot way, and the fact that his neck was still dotted with the purple memories of the night before didn’t help. Yuri stormed over to him, stopping about two feet away and glaring up at him.

 

“You...you fucking  _ asshole _ ,” he shouted, the burning sensation that comes before crying prickling at his nose. “You could’ve left a note maybe, or said  _ something _ , or not ditched class all day just to fucking ignore me? Standing there like some sort of aloof bastard, like this isn’t fucking with me hardcore, God…” He looked down and furiously shook his head, refusing to let himself cry. “I don’t know what you want from me and this isn’t  _ fucking _ helping!”

 

“I wanted to make good on my promise,” was all Otabek replied with, softly and calmly.

 

“What  _ promise _ ?”

 

“I would show you my skating.”

 

Yuri was floored. He had completely forgotten about that, and  _ he  _ felt like the asshole for letting it slip his mind. “Well...what makes you think I wanna even see it?”

 

“You should just watch.” He looked at Yuri in a way that was practically insisting that he sees. That must mean it was important to him, considering how often Otabek’s expression was virtually unreadable. His hand outstretched for Yuri to take it.

 

So he did.

 

The silence after that was anticipatory. Otabek laced up his skates, stepped onto the ice. Yuri leaned against the barrier, picking at the chipped paint at the corner and watched carefully as Otabek skated out to the center. He nodded to the girl handling the music, and within the first few seconds, Yuri recognized the music and couldn’t help but smile.

 

It was that stupid fucking Katy Perry song, Legendary Lovers.

 

He had to admit, Otabek’s program and form was absolutely beautiful, and it completely fit the music, but the fact that he had picked that music for his program was enough to keep Yuri grinning through the entire performance. Fuck, how could he have stayed mad at him after this?

 

Once the routine was over, Otabek made his way to the barrier that Yuri stood at. “I woke up early and worked on this all day.”

 

“For me?”

 

He nodded. “I’m bad at using words to express affection. Music and skating is where that comes in, and I figured I’d make it just a little cheesy on top of that.” He cracked a smile and that finally led Yuri to laugh.

 

“You’re fucking crazy,” he chuckled, suavely snaking his arms around Otabek’s waist. “I like you.”

 

“I like you too.”

  
The kiss that followed was different from the others they shared. Those were heated, desperate, thirsting. This was like the calm after the storm. The debris had settled, the world that had been so seemingly destroyed came back together as their lips met. Otabek’s lips were gentle, each movement filled with great care and passion. Yuri felt complete relief in that moment. Things felt in order. He knew this was where he was always meant to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can y'all tell I've been on a writing binge this week this is my third update (even tho its still a shortish chapter)
> 
> the end is nearing...ive still got a little more in store for you guys but heres the happy resolution that I've been dying to write since the moment i started 
> 
> thank you for all your amazing comments please please keep adding to them!!


	10. Hummingbird Heartbeat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You give me that hummingbird heartbeat.  
> Spread my wings and make me fly,  
> The taste of your honey is so sweet  
> When you give me the hummingbird heartbeat.

Yuri Plisetsky was about four  _ billion  _ percent sure he was dreaming.

 

That Friday morning, he woke up beside the heavy, lightly snoring body of man he had spent the last endless six weeks pining over. He woke up beside him and didn’t have to keep as far to his edge of the bed as possible. He didn’t have to force himself up as quickly as possible as a way to avoid awkward contact. He didn’t have to devise a way to casually be as close to him as he could. For the first time, he woke up beside Otabek and didn’t have to pretend. He simply rolled over, snuggled his face into the other man’s chest, and let himself feel free.

 

The day prior, after their kiss in the ice rink, they continued to kiss. They kissed before Otabek took off his skates, they kissed after he took off his skates, they kissed while walking out the doors, before climbing onto his bike, after parking it at the dorms, and honestly, they just kissed every opportunity they could, because each had spent their time together so hopelessly infatuated with the other that being able to act on it felt like a drug they just couldn’t get enough of. There were no coverups or loopholes to hide behind, like a few too many drinks or a case of feeling lonesome. Their emotions had been spilled out all over the place, and each kiss felt like they were putting them where they truly belonged--with each other.

 

Yuri knew he was clingy and needy when people he cared about showed reciprocation of the feeling. The only difference now was that instead of it being someone like his grandfather, where they just enjoyed being in each other’s company or sharing affectionate hugs and head pats, he had a completely new set of desires. He wanted to kiss Otabek, and kiss him more deeply, and touch him, and fuck him, until there was no other way for them to get closer without completely melting together. He had a bit of self control though, he didn’t want to make his newfound lover feel pressured or sped along too quickly. But God, once things like kissing and cuddling became fair game, he never wanted to stop. They made their way back to Yuri’s dorm that evening and collapsed together on the bed, a messy pile of kissing and tangled hair (mostly Yuri’s) and caressing fingertips. They practically drank in each other’s presence, their domestic touch. They spent the majority of the night together like that, hardly growing bored of it, until they felt obligated to at least be more productive with their time. Light-hearted TV became Yuri’s idea of “productivity,” curling up under a big blanket together with the lights off and television on. Otabek nodded off first, prompting Yuri to click off the screen and lie down with him to sleep. To sleep, but not before their first real goodnight kiss.

 

And then the morning came. Yuri dizzily had to let himself process that all of that actually  _ happened _ , it wasn’t just some strange dream that he had to shake off.

 

“ _ Beka _ …” he murmured into his skin softly. He felt Otabek’s fingers graze up and down his back as a response.

 

“What time is it?” he grumbled after several more minutes.

 

“Uh, fuck,” Yuri stretched to see his clock. “Just past 10:30.”

 

Otabek groaned, pulling Yuri closer to him. “I don’t wanna get up.”

 

“We don’t have to yet if you don’t wanna get breakfast.”

 

“I love breakfasts with you though,” he insisted, freeing Yuri just enough that they pulled each other in for a kiss. It wasn’t long though--Yuri broke it by making a face.

 

“Brush your teeth, Jesus Christ,” he faux-gagged.

 

“I could say the same for you,” Otabek grimaced, readjusting to sit up. “Let’s get up and do that.”

 

“Then can I kiss you some more?” 

 

“Of course.”

 

Yuri’s blush crept back up on his face, not as vicious as it was before his feelings were in the open, but still prominent. Otabek noticed though, leaning over to kiss his cheek. “Cute.”

 

“Shut up,” he growled, batting his lover away. “Go get ready and shit.”

 

Otabek chuckled, but complied. Once he left the room, Yuri begrudgingly got up and shuffled over to his closet to pick out the day’s outfit. It’s not like he had to impress Otabek, he’d seen him every day since the beginning of the semester. It still felt necessary though--he wanted to make himself look good in hopes that maybe then Otabek would want more of him. He spent a good ten minutes just searching through until he compiled the perfect outfit that read “I’m thirsty, but not  _ too _ thirsty.”

 

By the time he was dressed, had his teeth thoroughly brushed, and his things were together for the day, Otabek was back in his dorm. The two immediately went to kissing once more, their lips already knowing how to settle together in harmony. Otabek was the one who broke it this time, sooner than Yuri wanted him too.

 

“Why’d you stop?”

 

Otabek hesitated, his mind heavy with the question. “Are we dating?”

 

Yuri was a bit taken aback. “I mean...yes? If you want to be.”

 

“Of course I want to be.”

 

“Does that mean I’m your boyfriend? Or do you wanna do that whole straight person “talking” thing that everyone does?”

 

“I’d much rather just skip to the part where you’re my boyfriend,” Otabek nodded, pulling Yuri in for one more kiss.

 

“I’d like that too.”

 

They kissed more deeply this time, in a way that sent shivers through Yuri’s spine. He had hardly noticed when Otabek pressed him up against the wall, hands trailing down to his waist and pulling him closer. It really wasn’t until then that Yuri really understood the term ‘making my knees weak’ because in that moment, he felt it. He wanted to completely melt under Otabek’s touch, give all of himself up to him. It was unreal how attracted he was to him, and all of this was only at eleven in the morning.

 

“We should probably get going,” Otabek mumbled against Yuri’s lips, also aware of the time.

 

“Fine, fine,” he whined. “I don’t want to stop being this close to you though.”

 

“Neither do I, but we have class, Yuri,” he insisted, slinging his bag onto his back and taking Yuri’s hand. “We have all the time in the world for this.”

 

He nodded, grabbing his own bag and heading out the door with his boyfriend--God, it felt so good to say that. They spent breakfast in their same spot at the cafe, having the same food as usual, making the same conversations as usual, but it felt so different. It was easier to be around each other. He had realized part of Otabek’s stoicism was due to him being tense, not wanting to let go of the feelings for Yuri that he had been harboring. Yuri didn’t feel like he had to tiptoe around himself anymore, he could just be free. Even though he wasn’t saying anything particularly romantic, it still felt like that barrier between friendship and lovers was dissipated, and therefore, the caution did as well. It was truly a weight lifted off of his chest, and he was grateful.

 

It was all bliss, and then upon arriving to class, he remembered he had to tell Minami.

 

The hand holding that was taking place upon entrance seemed to be enough though. He had all but shouted, “Oh my God, are you two together!?”

 

Yuri, his cheeks completely pink, nodded. “As of, like, yesterday.”

 

Minami was a smiley guy to begin with, but even Yuri hadn’t ever seen a grin on him that wide. “I’m so so so happy for you guys! Why didn’t you tell me right away? I’m your friend, you have to keep me  _ updated _ .”

 

“It’s a very recent development, Minami, chill,” Yuri insisted. “I was kind of busy being with my boyfriend all night.” It felt right to say boyfriend. A perfect fit.

 

Minami seemed more excited than either of the two, but deep down, Yuri knew he’d be just as elated on the outside. He knew he didn’t want to seem overbearing though, so he kept his excitement in, only to be shown through his embraces with Otabek alone.

 

Class from then on felt like years. He passed notes to Otabek, doodling on the same page as him when they definitely should have been taking notes. It was impossible for Yuri to keep his hands off him, his inner possessive self shining through. Once class ended though, he realized he’d have to actually be apart from his Beka, and it was agony.

 

“Is today the first time you practice with Baranovskaya for the first time formally?” Otabek pointed out as they gathered their things.

 

“Yeah, I’m scared as hell,” Yuri admitted. “She’s fucking terrifying.”

 

“You’ll be amazing, Yura,” he insisted, the rarely used nickname sending flutters through his stomach. “She wouldn’t have chosen you if it’d be anything less.”

 

He grinned, kissing Otabek on the cheek as they went out the door. 

 

He was right though. Once Yuri settled into the studio, he got lost in it. The discipline of having an instructor beside him pushed him to limits that he hadn’t reached in a long time, and he loved every moment of it. The only thing that could beat how wonderful the practice had gone was the prospect of seeing Otabek afterwards, and when that time finally came, he could hardly contain how excited he was.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rip hello i expected this update to be longer but the gf was in town and i didn't have time to work on it much. ALSO since this is probably looking at only 2-3 chapters left, i started my next fic (also otayuri) which is a 70s au called A God Who Sings Back. go check it out pls chapter 2 should be up by tomorrow or monday and i want feedback. also more feedback here, i love your comments so goddamn much they make my whole day. thank u !!!


	11. Walking On Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> his is pure paradise,  
> Even heaven is jealous of our love  
> Yes, we make angels cry,  
> Raining down on earth from up above

Yuri Plisetsky was about four  _ billion _ percent sure he was in absolute heaven.

 

The days that passed were blissful. He saw Otabek every day in classes and as soon as their days wound to a close, the two were hand in hand back to the dorms where they spent the whole night together. If they weren’t interlocked and kissing, then they were begrudgingly attempting to do homework side by side, complaining to each other about class and assignments and ticking down the seconds until they could return to being obsessed with each other. It was the honeymoon phase at its absolute finest, and they were loving it.

 

The end of October had rolled around, and surely enough, so did Otabek’s birthday. Several days prior, Yuri realized he had no idea what he wanted to get him and summoned the ultimate crisis control go-to: Minami.

 

“Help me,” he begged, dragging his nails down Minami’s sleeve in the library that day. They had decided to begin studying together, now that Yuri had reluctantly accepted the fact that they were friends now.

 

“He’s  _ your _ boyfriend, shouldn’t it be easy to get him a gift? You two are like, somehow the clingiest couple I’ve ever met. And I’m friends with JJ and his girlfriend.”

 

“Shut up,” Yuri snarled, but he knew that he was right. “It’s not like I don’t have ideas, it’s just like...I want something  _ really _ good.”

 

“Well, what does he like?”

 

“Uh, ice skating, art, pop music, shitty TV…”

 

“Make him a mix CD.”

 

“That’s fuckin’ gay, Minami.”

 

“That’s the  _ point _ .” Shit, he was right.

 

They cycled through a few more shitty, last minute ideas, but Yuri knew that he was probably gonna make the mix CD. I mean, music was what brought them together in the first place, wasn’t it? So, when Yuri caught some alone time, he got to work at compliling his favorite love songs to burn onto a disk for his boyfriend. It wasn’t hard--it consisted of a lot of 70s jams, which in all honesty was a good decade to pick for a romantic CD. He also made sure to include some more modern songs, since Yuri knew that the sound of the 70s wasn’t exactly everyone’s cup of tea. He was satisfied with the end results though. That CD, and two more gifts were what he decided upon to give Otabek.

 

The morning of the 30th came, and as most other days since the two got together, Yuri woke up beside Otabek. He was grateful that he woke up first too, so he could gently rise Otabek, peppering kisses along his jaw and chest. Eventually, his plan worked, and the first think Otabek heard upon opening his eyes was a quiet, “Happy birthday, Beka.”

 

He smiled and kissed Yuri in response. “I can’t believe I’m old.”

 

“Shut up, 21 is still only barely getting started.”

 

“It’s older than you,” Otabek teased, snaking his arms around Yuri’s waist and pulling him in so his head rested on his chest.

 

“Don’t make me take back my birthday wishes, asshole,” he snickered. “Let me go, I wanna give you your first gift.”

 

“First?”

 

“I have three. But they’re all relatively small, so don’t freak out,” Yuri insisted, wiggling free of his lover’s grip so he could fumble around on his desk for two wrapped items.

 

He and Otabek sat up on his bed and Yuri watched with anticipation as he opened them. The first was obviously the CD, placed inside a spare case that Yuri had decorated with hearts and cats to be extra cheesy, a tracklist placed on the inside. A smile spread slowly across Otabek’s face as he read it.

 

“This is so... _ gay _ . I love it.”

 

“Right?” Yuri laughed. “That’s why I thought it’d be a fun idea.”

 

Otabek was moving on to the next gift, which upon opening, he discovered was a hoodie the colors of the Russian flag, with the country name printed in bold letters across the front. 

 

“I thought it’d be nice to have a bit of my home with you for whenever you go back home, y’know?” Yuri explained. “It’s not all that sentimental, but it looked warm.”

 

“I love it too, I’ll wear it today,” Beka grinned, pulling Yuri in for a bear hug. “Thank you so much.”

 

“Of course,” Yuri cooed, squeezing his boyfriend tight.

 

“What about the third gift?”

 

“You get that later.”

 

The implication of the third gift was laced through Yuri’s response just enough that Otabek would suspect it, but not expect it. He broke the hug soon after, insisting that the two get ready for the day.

 

It was Monday, which meant Katsuki’s class, practice with Baranovskaya, and then two other classes until his and Otabek’s day gets to end together. They went through all their usual motions, except Yuri got his chance to spoil the fuck out of Otabek, paying for breakfast, holding the door for him more than usual, and all sorts of little things like that. Everything was a big deal, since it was his birthday, according to Yuri.

 

He was mostly just excited for the day to end so his third present could finally be given.

 

After Beka’s last class of the day, he headed over to Yuri’s dorm, where he was waiting with his speakers playing some of his favorite songs and glasses of wine set out for the two of them.

 

“You are possibly the cheesiest person on Earth,” Otabek chuckled, pulling Yuri in for a kiss. 

 

When they pulled away, he didn’t let go. He simply draped his arms over Otabek’s shoulders, swaying with him to the soft music. “You know, I really like you.”

 

“I like you too,” Otabek smiled, warmth practically radiating from him.

 

“And I have one more gift for you, if you'll take it.”

 

The mood shifted ever so slightly. “What is it?”

 

Yuri leaned into Otabek, beginning to trail kisses up his neck, along his jaw, against his ear. “I really want you,” he murmured before nipping at his earlobe.

 

He felt Otabek tense, the flesh of his cheeks growing warm under Yuri’s touch. “Are you sure?” Otabek asked cautiously. “Like, I know we’ve kind of done stuff before, but you were drunk. Do you still want this now?”

 

“I really really do.” Yuri was completely letting his inner eros shine through, leaning back and staring down Otabek with half-lidded eyes, practically screaming for him to just touch him.

 

It hardly took an instant for Otabek’s lips to be pressed against Yuri’s, tongue seeking its way into his mouth. His intensity drove Yuri absolutely insane within seconds. His hands wandered down to Otabek’s hips, pressing them closer to him. Several moments of kissing passed, their force growing greater as their repressed sexual feelings for one another unwound. Yuri managed to get Otabek sitting on the edge of the bed, a perfect opportunity to climb up and straddle him. Otabek rocked his hips up into the motion of Yuri grinding down, which dragged a breath that was almost a moan from his throat. They could feel each other growing hard from the friction, their desperation for one another increasing with the rhythm. Yuri began leaving trails of love bites on Beka’s neck like he had the night he was drunk, a signature move of his. He absolutely adored the way his boyfriend looked that next day, his throat all purple and red.

 

This was Yuri’s gift to Otabek though, so he was the first to halt the frotting and biting, sliding down to his knees on the ground and working the clothes off of Otabek’s bottom half. He’ll admit, he was kind of surprised by how, well, fuckin’ hung his boyfriend was, but that didn’t stop him from continuing. What definitely kept him going was the sound Otabek made as Yuri took him in his mouth, beginning to bob his head up and down. He was worried his dick sucking skills would be rusty after not doing so in a while, but judging from the noises and movements coming from the one receiving, he had nothing to be concerned about. Yuri kept on sucking, swirling his tongue around the head when he got the chance. Otabek wove his fingers through his lover’s hair, grip tightening to a fist whenever Yuri did something he liked, which Yuri  _ really _ liked, so he’d keep doing it. The cycle was absolutely amazing for both of them, until Yuri remembered that he was still gonna let Otabek fuck him, so he couldn’t finish him off right then and there.

 

He pulled back and stood up, stripping himself down and removing the last of Otabek’s clothes before pushing him on his back and climbing on top of him. They began kissing once more, grinding together again. Otabek let his hands wander down to Yuri’s ass before grabbing at it, causing him to shudder and whine ever so softly into Otabek’s mouth.

 

“Can I ride you, Beka?” he asked, using a particularly forceful buck of the hips to try to persuade him. As if he were even going to say no.

 

“Please, Yura,” he breathed out, beginning to kiss from his lips to his neck.

 

Yuri thanked his past self for migrating his lube from his closet to his top desk drawer, making it within reach from the bed. He went to apply it himself, before Otabek stopped him, slathering some of it on his fingers and sliding them inside Yuri. That, of course, turned his previous softer, more breathy sounds into full blown moans, which he tried to contain for the sake of the other people living in the dorm. Otabek used two, then three, fingering his boyfriend until it was him who had to beg Beka to just properly fuck him already.

 

Yuri coated Otabek’s cock with more lube before lowering himself down onto it, letting out a jagged, breathy groan the whole time. Once the two had adjusted to their position, Otabek began slowly pushing his hips up and down, gently at first, until both of their pace grew in intensity and speed. Eventually, Yuri was thrusting himself down onto his lover, crying out mantras of “ _ Beka, fuck, oh God, Bekaaa _ ” until neither of them could really take anymore. Yuri came first, spilling out all over Otabek’s stomach, and after that, it didn’t take long for him to finish too. A few more slow, worn out grinds later, Yuri collapsed on the bed beside his boyfriend, the two a sweaty mess together. They kissed their way through the afterglow, drinking in every memory that night held.

 

“Happy birthday,” Yuri finally chuckled, kissing him one last time before getting up to go shower. “You should probably clean up too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didnt proofread this chapter bc i am so fucking bad at writing smut i didnt wanna bring myself the shame of looking at it twice
> 
> THAT BEING SAID, i am so sorry this took so long, ive had a busyass week and writers block completely kicked my ass, SO hopefully the smut and also the playlist will make up for it. playlist u ask? WELL i made an 8tracks playlist for the CD that yuri made otabek !! you can listen here https://8tracks.com/rjkush122/otayuri-legendary-lovers
> 
> im debating whether i should end this soon or just keep going until forever, i love them so much wtf. i do also have another in progress otayuri fic thats a 70s au (can u tell i love the 70s) called A God Who Sings Back SO yall should go check that out !! and please keep leaving comments i love them!!!


	12. Unconditionally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is no fear now  
> Let go and just be free  
> I will love you unconditionally

Yuri Plisetsky was about four  _ billion _ percent sure he was in love.

 

It’s not like it took him long to know. He was mesmerized by Otabek from the start, that day they met because some overly intimidating guy kept glaring at him, but his fascination only grew as they got to know each other. He was something other worldly, with a disposition foreign to Yuri. He loved him the moment they called each other ‘friend.’ All that had changed since was that he was able to call him something more.

 

Rolling over to face Otabek beside him in bed, the morning after their first time together, was the first time he knew he was in love.

 

Something about the way he looked--face smushed into Yuri’s chest, arm draped over his side, expressionless and peaceful--was all he needed. It filled up every ounce of his body with this overwhelming, unfamiliar feeling, something he hadn’t ever really pictured himself ever experiencing. All those songs that he had heard, the movies, the other media, talked of this feeling. Finding someone you’d give anything for seemed like such bullshit until that actually came along and hit him right in the face. Once it did, he refused to let it go. He pulled his boyfriend in tight, planting kisses on his head softly, slowly, until the sleeping body beside him was raised into consciousness.

 

“Mmm,” he murmured into Yuri. “Good morning.”

 

“Morning, Beka,” he whispered, tracing the lines of his back lightly. “Sleep well?”

 

“Yes. You?”

 

“Definitely,” he smiled. After last night, it wasn’t difficult to sleep like a rock. It was always easier to sleep with Otabek at his side anyway.

 

“What time is it?”

 

“Who cares?”

 

“Someone who unfortunately has an education to attend to,” he teased, sitting up just enough to see the red 10:04 on the clock. “I have some time.”

 

“Never enough though, just skip class all day and stay in bed with me.”

 

“I don’t like to skip, Yura.”

 

Yuri’s hand refused to stop at Otabek’s lower back this time as he reached to grab at his ass. “Can I convince you?”

 

He groaned against his boyfriend. “I hate that you  _ know _ this is gonna be a weakness from here on out.”

 

“Is that a yes?”

 

“It’s a maybe. Not until we brush our teeth, your breath is rancid.”

 

Yuri raised an eyebrow. “Is it a yes after we brush our teeth?”

 

“Let’s cross that bridge when we get to it.”

 

“Fine,” he groaned. The motivation to actually get up was convincing though. Dick in exchange for shuffling down the hall to brush their teeth seemed like a fair trade.

 

By the time each had completed their morning routines and found each other face to face in his bedroom, Yuri still wouldn’t budge from his plans.

 

“I really thought you might not be as persistent towards the idea of us staying in bed all day after actually getting kind of ready,” Otabek noted, a bit impressed. “Especially since I can’t imagine walking feels pleasant.”

 

“We don’t have to like,  _ fuck _ fuck,” Yuri shrugged, letting his hands wander up to his lover’s chest. “Just...something.”

 

He placed his hand on Yuri’s cheek endearingly. “You’re cute.”

 

“Cute enough to be persuaded?” he insisted. When his desired answer took too long, he turned his head to take Otabek’s fore and middle fingers in his mouth, sucking on them to further his argument.

 

“We’ve been together for barely a week and you already have me whipped, Plisetsky,” he chuckled, pulling his hand away and letting his lips replace it.

 

Yeah, Yuri was definitely in love.

 

Kissing led to his bed and before they knew it, the two had practically thrown off all of their clothes, and Yuri was leaving behind trails of more hickeys down Otabek’s abdomen. He had been so determined, after all, how could he not give his boyfriend what he had implied? 

 

Taking the head of his dick in his mouth, Yuri began to swirl his tongue around it, occasionally dragging it up from the base just to be a tease. He was enjoying experimenting with what actions caused certain sounds to slip from Otabek’s lips, what made his fingers pull through Yuri’s hair just a bit harder. The mantras of “ _ Oh, Yura _ ” that filled the air around them sent shivers down Yuri’s spine. Once he picked up the pace, beginning to suck harder and trace his fingertips along Otabek’s inner thighs, it wasn’t long until his lover was on the brink, soon cumming in Yuri’s mouth and a bit on his cheek. It was a pretty sight--Yuri on his knees, a satisfied smirk, and cum dripping down the side of his face. 

 

“You’re cute,” Yuri grinned, mocking what Otabek had told him earlier as he grabbed paper towels to clean himself up.

 

“And you’re stunning,” Otabek sighed, still blissfully in the afterglow. Once Yuri returned the bed, he was pulled down into a passionate kiss followed by the suggestive wandering of Otabek’s hands to his waistband.

 

After a while of kissing and getting Yuri worked up, Otabek laid him down, sliding his sweatpants off with ease. He pushed Yuri’s shirt up, leaving kisses and love bites all down his abdomen until he reached his underwear. He teasingly dragged his tongue along the bulge, making Yuri whine and buck his hips up towards him. 

 

“Beka, come on,” he murmured impatiently.

 

“Don’t be in such a hurry, Yura,” Otabek insisted.

 

He finally pulled Yuri’s underwear off, but only went to biting at his thighs. Neither of them had known until then just exactly how sensitive Yuri really was there though. He let out something that was more of a cry of pleasure, hands flying down to Otabek’s head, immediately intertwining his fingers through his hair. Yuri was always loud in bed, but his moans grew more intense with each mark left behind, and by the time Otabek had given him a satisfying amount, Yuri was begging for him to just do more.

 

Otabek slid his hand up to Yuri’s mouth, where he promptly began to suck. It was only then that Otabek finally began to really touch Yuri, stroking his cock with his other hand and lightly dragging his tongue along the tip. Yuri hardly could keep quiet, whining around the fingers between his lips. Otabek went at it for awhile before pulling his hand back down and slowly inserting one finger into Yuri, which caused a drawn out groan that was music to Otabek’s ears. He pressed in until Yuri’s whole body jolted, knowing he had found his sweet spot. He continued to finger him, hitting it over and over, pleading whimpers spilling out from Yuri’s mouth. Otabek added a second finger and took more of his boyfriend into his mouth, and after that, it wasn’t long until Yuri was shaking all over, biting his own hand to keep from being too loud. With one last yelp of Otabek’s name, Yuri came, hard and fast.

 

“Holy hell,” he panted as Otabek pulled himself up to lie beside him. “Why didn’t we start fucking the moment we met?”

 

“I mean, I definitely wanted to,” Otabek admitted with a chuckle. “That night I met you in the bathroom, I was taken aback by the Katy Perry, yeah, but also your ass when you danced.”

 

“Don’t be so  _ gay _ , Beka,” he groaned, blushing. “But I can say the same for your literal everything. I fully expected you to beat my ass when I confronted you about stalking me, but I was lowkey hoping for it.”

 

“Ooh, kinky. I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

“Oh, shut up.”

 

From then on, the two did stay in bed all day. Drinking in each other’s presence, they kissed, they laughed, they fucked around on social media together, Yuri showing Otabek some of his new favorite Instagram accounts. They shared this peaceful, domestic love together in such a way that made Yuri’s heart flutter. Every little thing Otabek did, from his quiet chuckle to the way he cups Yuri’s face when they kiss, was like heaven to him. If he could, he’d never leave this bed, he’d never leave this boy. The days could keep rolling by, and there wasn’t really anywhere else in the world that he could see as more important than right then and there.

 

There was something beautiful about finding someone like this. As cliche as it was, Yuri felt it was like there was this missing piece all his life, and there was finally somebody who fit just right. The way they tangled together in his bed, falling into kisses like it was second nature, fingers intertwining into a perfect fit. There wasn’t a single part of him that doubted how true this felt.

 

As the day began to crawl to an end, and he knew they’d have to return to schedule the next day, Yuri looked over at Otabek softly. “Can I tell you something?”

 

“Of course, Yura,” he replied. “Anything.”

 

“I think I’m in love.”

 

Otabek’s eyes glistened, breaking into a grin that no amount of bad boy stoicism could contain. “I know I’m in love.”

  
That kiss that followed was true, like the first time all over again. The love shared was in the open now, and it felt so different now, so free. And there wasn’t anything in the world it could be traded for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS HOLY FUCK ! THIS IS IT !!!! all thats left now is the epilogue, i cant believe i actually finished a fic for the first time in 6 years :')
> 
> this chapter was a big ol mix of sappy romance and smut so i hope u enjoy. it took a little longer than expected to finish 1. bc this past week has been hectic and life gets in the way sometimes and 2. i suck at writing smut so it takes me a longass time
> 
> BUT i wanna thank u guys so so much for sticking around and leaving comments, and enjoying this fic!!! im hoping the epilogue will be up within the week, itll be a lot shorter than my usual chapters just bc its really only for concluding everything yknow??
> 
> either way, THANK U SO MUCH and stick around for the final chapter !!!!!


	13. Epilogue - Legendary Lovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We could be legendary.

Yuri Plisetsky was about four  _ billion _ percent sure he was about to have a heart attack.

 

He had been working under Baranovskaya--who finally reached a point with him where he was allowed to call her Lilia--for months now. He had reached such a level of satisfaction with her that he surpassed all of the ballet majors (who were  _ not _ happy about it) and landed the lead male role in La Sylphide. Of course, Otabek and Yuri’s grandfather were absolutely ecstatic, but Yuri himself was an absolute ball of nerves. He had yet to perform in front of a large audience until opening night had come around. He paced backstage, checking and double checking that he knew every move, and that everything was in order. In between checks, he would glance at his phone.

 

**From: Beka <3**

**You’re going to be amazing, Yura. Break a leg. I’ll be cheering you on.**

 

That text was from about half an hour prior. Yuri had read it at least a hundred times as he paced his breathing. It had taken him the entire half hour to finally stop shaking long enough to send a reply that wasn’t full of typos.

 

**To: Beka <3**

**but what if i fuck up**

 

Several seconds later, a response.

 

**From: Beka <3**

**If you do, I’ll love you the same. But you won’t because you’re Yuri Plisetsky and you’ve been working your ass off for this so much that I swear, you hum the music in your sleep.**

 

He smiled to himself. He knew Otabek was right. Minutes before showtime, he knew it was time to drop his phone by his things and head to his spot. Before that though, he shot his boyfriend one last text.

 

**To: Beka <3**

**I love you. I’ll see you after the show.**

 

He tossed the device aside and headed to his position, waiting for his cue. It felt like ages before it came, but once he was onstage, lights shining hot on him and sea of people beneath him, he hardly even noticed. His legs carried him before his mind caught up, and before he knew it, he was lost in the dance.

 

It was just like practice, what he had been working on for ages now. Once he put himself in the proper headspace, he didn’t pay any attention to the setting. It was as if he was in the mirrored, open room that had become a second home to him. He let himself become buried in his movement, relying on only grace and his own routine. Before he even knew it, it was intermission, and he had done it.

 

The second act came just as easily. After the praise and congratulations from his peers backstage after the first act, he felt even more elated and ready to perform. His skill level was astounding, even to those connoisseurs in the audience who attended prepared to rip it to shreds. Yuri was practically floating, and once the curtains closed at the very end, he had finally come back down to Earth.

 

He was so swept up in all the commotion, that by the time he had headed out into the general public, he hardly caught on to the man who had run over to sweep him up into a familiar bear hug.

 

“Beka,” he murmured upon realization.

 

“Yuri, I’m not gonna lie, I almost cried,” he admitted, grinning ear to ear. He kissed him with such a fervent passion that even Yuri couldn’t compare his lightness on stage to how light he felt after pulling away. He found himself nearly laughing due to how blissfully perfect everything felt right then and there.

 

Otabek let him free so he could greet others that were beginning to surround them. Yuri first ran up to his grandfather, who he hadn’t seen since Christmas.

 

“Yurochka!” he exclaimed, taking his grandson into a firm hug. “That was wonderful.”

 

“Thank you, dedushka,” he beamed, comforted by the home-like feeling he got from being back in an embrace with his grandfather. “What do you think, is stage makeup a good look for me?”

 

“It’s not as bad as I expected,” Nikolai teased upon seeing Yuri’s bold makeup. “I’m proud of you though.”

 

The hugs and congratulations continued for what felt like years before Yuri finally found a moment to breathe. He had stepped out into the cool spring nighttime, taking a seat on one of the stone benches in front of the double doors. It wasn’t long before Otabek joined him, taking his own seat by his side and wrapped one arm around his waist.

 

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so grateful to call you my boyfriend,” he told him as Yuri rested his head against Otabek’s shoulder. “Which is saying something.”

 

“You really liked it then?”

 

“I really loved it.”

 

Yuri felt his face go warm, the blush that had found its way underneath his cheeks because of Otabek so many times before. He felt complete there, coming down from the high of his success with the love of his life there beside him.

 

“Y’know, I love you a lot, Beka,” he smiled softly against him.

  
“I love you too, Yura.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is IT yall !!!
> 
> its super short, i just wanted to write something to kind of wrap up and give everything a bit of resolution. my boy got everything he wanted :') im a sucker for cheesy happy endings dont @ me
> 
> THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU all for reading this and giving feedback, it means the absolute world to me!!! if you still want some more of my otayuri fics though, feel free to check out A God Who Sings Back which is the next one that i'll be focusing on!! you guys really are the bomb, thank you again for supporting me through this!!

**Author's Note:**

> ok so googling shit about history and russia is going to be my go-to throughout this fic and im not even gonna hide it. ill probably use google translate. who knows. that being said, if i fuck something up, just tell me and ill fix it bc im kinda just keeping my fingers crossed and hoping im culturally accurate. im from chicago i dont think i can relate to moscow lmao
> 
> but yeah!! if u made it this far, please stick around for more and thank u sm for reading this omg?? im gonna try to update at LEAST once a week, and i know for sure that i will after the holidays are over. if u wanna talk otayuri with me feel free to dm me on twitter (@kkozuken) or tumblr (@dietpiss) !!


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